


Flying to Redemption

by LeightAiden777



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Development, Characters will be added as the work progresses, Characters' Ages will be different from the comics but more or less similar, Crime Fighting, Dick Grayson is Robin, Different earth, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Family, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mostly as a background element used for Dick's character development, No Cassandra or Stephanie, No actual romance between them while Dick is underage, Reincarnation, Self-Insert, Supernatural - Freeform, Then nightwing, There will be some clear differences and some similarities, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2018-12-26 13:36:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12060078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeightAiden777/pseuds/LeightAiden777
Summary: It was only as he stared at his new guardian dressed as a giant bat that he realised that he had not simply been reborn. No, it was much worst.OrA sort of Self-Insert but not quite with Dick as the main character.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Slash (Yaoi, Boy X Boy…), Reincarnation, Semi Self-Insert, OC as Dick Grayson (sort of), Age difference, OOC! Dick Grayson, Bat Family will not include Cass and Steph, Follows its own timeline (this is mostly its own dimension, different from any of what seen in the comics but also holds similarities). There will be clear differences in the plot to show it's from a different Earth altogether, like no Cass and no Steph
> 
> There will be no actual romance between Bruce and Dick while Dick is underage. 
> 
> The Self-Insert/Reincarnation will be mostly a background element since the OC did not actually know much of the comics in the first place. The important point is that a part of Dick is wiser, older but will be shown through a sub-text. Dick is still just a child at the beginning but with memories of another life that make him different.
> 
> The first arc will be much more lighthearted, mostly because Dick is still a child and everything is easier as a child, and I did title it as the 'Golden Age'. Things will change as Dick grows up. I won't be concentrating on every little mission Dick goes through as a Superhero; I will concentrate more on the relationships between the characters. There will be times when I will of course go through them but this whole fiction will not be on them. I want to show how Dick went from who he is now to the person he is in the Prologue and what comes along. The most important people in here besides Bruce and Dick will be Jason, Tim and Damian. And I guess Roy too. I want to show just how different their relationships with Dick but also each other are to those of Canon. Not everything is going to be sunshine and rainbows like in the first arc, that much I can say without spoiling the story. In any case, I hope you guys like it.

_Dick woke up to a familiar muscled arm holding him close against an equally familiar chest. Callous fingers carded through his hair, the gentle ministrations relaxing him even more than sleep had. Dick smiled, keeping his eyes closed as he buried his head in his lover’s neck. A fond chuckle reached his ears before a pair of lips pressed a loving kiss to his temple. He sighed in contentment and tightened his own grip around the other’s waist._

_The both of them said nothing, only enjoying the rare quiet moment they were being gifted. Unfortunately the quiet was not meant to last, as not long after the thought crossed their mind, than the door to their bedroom slammed open. Dick groaned and pressed closer to his lover, hoping that if he ignored the disturbance it would go away._

_“Father, Richard. Wake up already,” a young voice called from the door, making Dick groan again. After a moment of silence, he heard almost silent footsteps padding over to the bed. “Father! Wake up!”_

_Dick cracked one eye open and watched over his lover’s shoulder as a small figure latched onto the man’s sleeping shirt before tugging. He stifled a chuckle at the frustrated scowl on the cute visage when his lover refused to budge. So adorable.  He looked up at his lover who looked back at him with an equally amused look. Then, as if they had planned for it, they separated in synchrony before they both grabbed the small figure and dragged him on the bed with them. The child let out an indignant and surprised squawk and tried to squirm free._

_“Father! Richard!” the child whined though he would never admit it._

_The two adults only shifted enough to make room for the child between them before they locked their arms around him and settled down._

_“Hush now, baby,” Dick murmured as he nuzzled the wiggling child’s soft hair. “Sleep.”_

_“I’m not a baby!”_

_After a moment of useless struggling, the child let out a huff of frustration before he relaxed and let himself be guided to sleep, comfortable between the two most important adults in his life. Dick smiled down at the adorable, sleeping child before he too dozed off._

_He did not know how long went past, though it might be only a few minutes, before he heard another pair of footsteps nearing their room. This time they seemed heavier, indicating an older intruder._

_“Are you for real?” the voice of the oldest child in the family groaned from the doorway, an exasperated growl making its way up his throat. “Hell spawn, we sent you up here to get them up and you just fucking go back to sleep? Seriously?”_

_“Screw you, Todd.” Came the groggy grumbled reply from the small figure snuggled in Dick’s arms._

_“Boys, language,” Dick chided automatically._

_“Are you serious!?” was the incredulous reply from the oldest child (who was no longer actually a child but would always remain one for Dick). The footsteps came closer, rounding the bed until he was standing on Dick’s side of the bed instead of his lover’s. “Come on already; wake up!”_

_As he reached down to Dick, most likely to drag him out of bed, Dick’s hand snapped up and clamped onto his wrist. Before the younger could react he was the one being dragged into bed, his body stumbling and falling right behind Dick and halfway on top him. He cursed fluidly, only for Dick to pinch his wrist in silent reprimand._

_“Ugh! Fucking Seriously?”_

_“Hush, Jaybird,” Dick said as he wound the other’s arm until it settled comfortably  around his waist, right under where the youngest was clutching Dick’s sleeping shirt in his small hand. “It’s too early and it’s cold outside. Let’s just sleep a couple of hours more.” Jay grumbled a little but he did not protest further; he settled comfortably behind Dick, his forehead coming to lean lightly between Dick’s shoulder blades._

_(A small foot reached over Dick’s legs to kick Jay away who retaliated by reaching in front of Dick to tug at the youngest child’s cheek. Said child snapped his head back and tried to bite Jay’s finger off but instead Jay moved his hand away before quickly flicking a finger at the younger’s forehead._

_“Boys,” Dick grumbled, refusing to open his eyes and instead he reached behind his baby and poked his lover in the belly. Thankfully, said lover got the message and he reached out and flicked both boys on the ears._

_“Father!”_

_“Dammit, Bruce!”)_

_When Dick woke up a couple of hours later, it was to a small child nestled comfortably in his arms, small hands clutching at his sleeping shirt tightly, to Jay snoring lightly against his back, arm resting around his waist and as he looked up, he found a smaller form curled up against his lover’s own back. He smiled fondly; Timmy must have come up earlier after no one had come down for breakfast and he must have climbed in after seeing everyone else already snuggling in bed._

_As his eyes trailed up, he found his lover’s blue eyes watching him with the same expression he was certain to have on his own face, except more subdued. Peace, awe, contentment… Love. This… this was everything he had ever hoped for; a family he adored, a lover he loved to the moon and back and who loved him just as much… and a life he would give or change for nothing._

_He tilted his head up a little, his lover meeting him halfway and as their lips pressed against each other, a part of Dick wondered what his life would have been like… if he had not remembered his memories of another life all those years before; of a life where this world was plain fiction. He wondered if the decisions he had taken, if the things he had done would have been the same._

_Either way, he loved how his life turned out. And it all started because he remembered who he had been in another life all those years before._

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

**Years Earlier**

Dick did not remember until it was too late to change anything. His parents were already dead and he had been living with his new guardian for a couple of weeks, his new _absent_ guardian. Mr Wayne was never at the manor and when he was they never really interacted except for a brief uncomfortable greeting when they crossed paths in the hallway. The one time he saw Mr Wayne for longer than a minute was that time he was being scolded for breaking the chandelier by swinging from it and even then he could see that Mr Wayne wanted to be anywhere but there. Honestly, if the guy was just going to ignore him anyway then why had he even taken Dick in?

Frankly? It was lonely and he felt the loss of his parents every second of every day. Sure, Alfred was always there but he was also always busy with something or other. Dick was used to being surrounded at all times of the day from his life in the circus but he was also used to hugs and kisses, even to small casual touches from the others. At Wayne manor… there was nothing of the sort and in this large place… he felt lonelier than ever before.

The only thing that kept him distracted from his loneliness was the small investigation he had going to find out about his parents’ murder. He knew they had been murdered; his father always checked the equipment before every performance so it was unlikely that they had simply deteriorated. Someone had tempered with them and Dick had a feeling he knew who had done it. That Zucco who had come to threaten Haly the night before the performance was the suspect in Dick head but he was also certain he was the one who had murdered his parents. All he had to do was find him… and end him.

And then _it_ happened.

It was a nice, normal day or night for Dick. He had been sneaking out of the manor, going to try and find out more about his parents’ murderer when a van suddenly pulled up in front of him. Before he knew what was happening, the door slammed opened and a pair of arms dragged him inside. Dick struggled, of course he did, but what could he do against grown men when he himself was just a tiny eight years old child? So it was no surprise that he could do nothing when one of them put a cloth with a pungent smell to his face. He knew it was a bad idea to breath in from the get go but after a while, holding his breath became too much.

He blacked out.

…...............................................................................................................................................................

He woke up tied to a chair in what appeared to be a large room, though it was too dark for him to really make out where he was exactly. There were three men with black ski masks standing over him. Two others were standing a little farther away, talking in hushed tones, though not low enough for Dick not to hear.

“You really think Wayne’s going to pay for the brat?” one asked.

“He went through all that trouble for that kid. I don’t think he’s just going to let us have him.”

“Yeah, but it’s been what? Two weeks? Three? Who says the guy would care to pay that much for a brat he just met?”

“Well, if he doesn’t pay, we’ll just have to find another way to get the money.”

“What about the kid?” They both turned to look at Dick, their eyes catching on the moon rays from outside and looking particularly ominous at that particular moment.

“We’ll tie up loose ends.”

Dick could not help but shrink into himself. He really did not like that conversation.

He wanted his parents.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Dick did not know how long he stayed there, tied to a chair and waiting to know his own fate. He was terrified out of his mind and it was only his own pride and the memory of his father telling him to be brave that kept him from crying. From what he understood, those men who had kidnapped him were in for the money, the money they could get from having Bruce Wayne’s ward in their grasp. And that made him even more apprehensive. No one was supposed to even know that he had been taken in by Bruce Wayne yet. Only the social worker and those working at the orphanage should know about it, apart from the circus.

 _Why_ would Mr Wayne even pay for him anyway? It would seem like he was more trouble than anything. The man did not even care for him anyway; he was never there and when he was it was so clear he wanted to be elsewhere. Maybe Mr Wayne would use this opportunity to get rid of him. Maybe Dick was lacking something and that was why Mr Wayne did not like him… Either way, Dick was not likely to get out of there and he was terrified.

And that was when it all happened.

A sound in the rafters was the only warning before a large black form fell in the middle of the kidnappers. They never stood a chance. They yelled and pulled out guns but before they knew it, they were knocked out and tied up.

The black form stood from where it was crouched and that was when Dick finally saw who it was. The moon rays shone through the windows, illuminating the man dressed in a bulky black costume, a long black cloak hiding his form. The pointy cowl was a dead giveaway of who it was but at that moment Dick could care less that it was the Batman standing in front of him, staring at him through blank white lances. It was at that precise moment when Dick’s eyes caught sight of the man dressed as a bat that the memories came, sudden and painful like a searing saw from the back of his eyes. Dick winced, closing his eyes as the pain and the sudden surge of memories making him nauseous.

“Are you alright?” a dark, gravely voice asked from right in front of him. Dick cracked open his eye to find the Dark Knight kneeling in front of him, lips pulled up in a hard line.

“Y-You are –”

He blacked out.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

When he woke up, Dick was back at the manor, in the large room he still could not bring himself to think as his own. He felt dazed and strange. His head ached and more than anything he was confused. He was confused about his own body; it felt right but at the same time so, _so_ wrong. It was of the right size but too short, of the right shape but not curvy enough, had the right organs but _not_. His mind was a mess; he was Dick Grayson, acrobat, orphan, eight and a boy, but at the same time… he was not.

For a moment Dick remained in bed without moving, trying to get his mind sorted out and make sense of the mess that had become his life. It took him a while and when he did he almost started to laugh hysterically.

He was Dick Grayson. But he had once been someone else, a woman of twenty-six years of age who had lived a life of her own in a whole other world where Batman, Superman… The Justice League was all fiction. And it would seem like this same woman was now also him, Dick Grayson, eight years old boy who lived with the _Batman_ of all people.

He had not simply been reborn. No, it was much, _much_ worst. He had been reborn in a world where there were people like Superman, Green Arrow and Batman around, where there were actual _Supervillains_ and _aliens_ roaming the world, and he now lived with a vigilante.

Too bad he had been more of a Marvel fan. If he knew more about this new world he had found himself in he might be more prepared for what he was to find in his new life. Either way, he was stuck and he no idea what to expect.


	2. Dick's Childhood: The Golden Age of the Dynamic Duo Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many things are going to be different in here compared to the comics/cartoons/movies. This is mostly to show that this 'Earth' is a different one form what is known. Some things will be similar of course. I will take events and elements from everywhere and not just one place. The characters' ages are going to be a little different but I will also show where they differ.

It was Alfred who found him sitting up in bed, a thoughtful look on his face as he stared blankly out the window. The mid-afternoon sun was shining through the curtains showing that Dick had been unconscious for far longer than he had expected. It had been night when Batman had found him and now it was already the next day. Well, hopefully it was the next day and he had not been asleep even longer.

The old butler entered the room with a tray in his hands. He stopped at the door for a moment of momentary surprise at seeing Dick awake but as true to himself he was quick to continue as if nothing had happened.

"It is good to see you awake, Master Richard," Alfred said as he put the tray on the side table. There were sandwiches and tea on the tray, along with a few medicinal paraphernalia like a small flashlight and a packet of what looked like pills. "Master Bruce and I were quite worried to find you gone," the man continued as he brought flashlight and carefully examined his eyes. "You really should not have sneaked out like this. It is fortunate you were found before anything could happen."

Dick blinked a moment, still feeling a little disconnected before he turned thoughtful eyes to the old butler.

"Say, Alfred. Is Mr Wayne here?"

"Master Bruce is in his study, yes. And I believe he has asked you to call him by his first name."

Dick shrugged. "Do you think I can talk to him?"

Alfred paused for a moment before he replied. "I am certain Master Bruce can make some time for you, Master Richard. Do you wish for me to inform him now? Are you feeling alright though?"

"I'm fine, Alfred. Um, can I go talk to him now?"

"Of course, Master Richard. Would you like me to accompany you?"

"No it's fine. I can find my way."

"As you wish, young man. If you need me I shall be in the kitchen."

"Okay. Thanks, Alfred."

Dick waited until the man was gone before standing up. He was dressed in very comfortable blue pajamas, one of the many he had been gifted with when he had first come to live at Wayne manor. He padded on naked feet out of his room and made his way silently to where he knew Mr Wayne's study was though he had never actually been there. His mind was still reeling from his newfound memories but he felt that if he did not confront the man as soon as possible Dick would lose his nerve. That was why it was not long before he found himself standing in front of the closed study door, hesitating slightly before eventually knocking on the heavy mahogany door.

There was a momentary pause during which Dick worried Mr Wayne was either not there or that he was going to be ignored before a voice called from inside to enter. Dick took a deep breath and opened the door, peeking inside before entering. The older man was sitting at a large wooden desk opposite the door. He looked up when Dick shuffled inside and the young boy was unsure how to take in the man's expression that seemed quite passive, though not unwelcoming. He still felt quite unnerved though, particularly since he knew who the man really was.

"Dick. I see you are awake. How are you feeling?"

Dick fidgeted a little uncomfortably before he replied. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Did you need anything?" the man asked after Dick said nothing else.

He opened his mouth and then closed it again when he had no idea how to say what was on his mind. "I know you're Batman," he blurted out finally and then promptly kicked himself mentally.

The older man stared at him for a long moment, his hand slowly lowering the pen it was holding before he laced the fingers of his hands together. Dick had no idea how the man was going to take it and frankly he was really scared, so before the man could deny what he knew to be the truth he rattled off everything that convinced him that the man was Batman without mentioning the whole other-life thing, mind flashing back to the night he had been rescued and cataloguing every detail he could remember. And without realising it, his words changed from a child's limited vocabulary to a much more developed and sophisticated vocabulary range of an adult.

"It's all in your body language," he fidgeted nervously, fingers twisting the hem of what he now realised was his pyjama top. "You both hold your back straight but a little stiff, but because you're so tall it looks like you're looming. Your shoulders are tensed and your jaws are clenched and your mouths are pinched. And then there's your body; you both have a similar built but Batman looks taller and bigger but I think it's because of the cloak and the suit looks padded and I think there's something with your shoes too but I did not see them well enough in the dark. And – and – and – I  _know_  it's you!" And then he snapped his mouth shut, almost not believing the whole word vomit that just took place. Instead, he stared at Mr Wayne, his eyes wide and earnest as if he could just  _make_  him believe him in his claims because he knew – he  _knew_  that if the man dismissed his claims and proclaimed that he was wrong he was just going to lose it. His sanity was practically hanging by a thread by this point and if the man decided to take away the only anchor that secured his sanity… Well, he did not think he was going to be able to come back from that.

But it would seem that he did not have to worry as, just like that, after a long, long pause, the man simply nodded, eyes unreadable and holding a weird look on his face. "And you noticed all of that during the little time you saw me? In the  _dark_?" Mr Wayne asked instead.

Dick blinked, teeth worrying his bottom lip anxiously. "I… shouldn't have?" his voice came out small and confused, the high-pitched tone reminding himself that he was still just a child, a small, tiny eight years old child who had the guts to confront the Batman of all people.

… Oh dear God. He was so going to have a freak out when he was alone. He could not believe he had just done that. Not now though since he still had to convince the man to help him catch his parents' killer.

"It is just… unexpected," was the only reply he received and Dick cocked his head to the side, confused. Was it? He remembered that his father had always told him that a good acrobat also needed to have a good eye, to be able to visualise before doing any of the hardest stunts. And that was why he had always been good in noticing body language; he noticed things others his age or even adults did not notice. But then again, the adult part of him realised that maybe he had been paying too much attention to details. He had been so used to it as Dick that the part of him that was not Dick noticed that it was in fact quite impressive, particularly for a child.

At the moment though, it was the least of his worries. He needed to convince the Batman in finding the man who killed his parents. He could not let Zucco go. No, he could not. The man had not only taken away his family, but he had also taken his innocence, not just because Dick had been forced to watch his parents die but also because it was because of Zucco that Dick had been taken in by Mr Wayne which led to his remembering of a life and time long past. His hold on his sanity was flimsy at best and finding his parents' murder would distract him enough not to lose his mind. Literally.

"I believe," Mr Wayne said after a moment, breaking the silence and Dick from his thoughts. "That we should speak about your… sneaking around." Dick immediately blushed in embarrassment. Mr Wayne gave him a pointed look. "It was… unwise leaving the manor like that, without telling anyone and messing with things that can get you in trouble. Kid, I understand how you feel about what happened but leaving the manor where you are protected and safe without alerting anyone where you are going is just going to put you in harm's way. You're lucky I've been keeping an eye on you and that those men decided to be foolish and kidnap you right on our doorstep. However, that does not mean you should do this again."

Dick felt properly chastised. While at the time he had felt properly justified in sneaking away to find justice for his parents' murder, now with his new outlook on himself, he felt like he had acted particularly recklessly and childishly, especially in a city like Gotham. He might not have been living there for long but he knew just how dangerous the city was. Heck, before arriving his parents had given him a thorough lecture about in fact not sneaking away alone into the city because of how unsafe it was. And then there he was, doing just that.

At the same time though a part of Dick was angry that Mr Wayne even had to say that. Yes, he might be a child but his parents deserved justice for their unfair death. That man, Zucco – he was never going to be able to forget that name – had gone and arranged his parents' death only because Haly had refused doing something  _illegal_  for him. Haly was a good man, so of course he would not do as he had wished. But then his parents had to pay for that, which was completely unfair and unjust.

Of course Dick would go out of his way to bring justice to them. He might be only eight but he was also the only one who knew beside Haly what had really happened that night. And what could Haly do anyway? if he tried something someone  _else_  in the circus might get hurt or worst like Dick's parents. So that left only Dick.

Dick looked down but did not reply. He felt conflicted, torn between what he was supposed to think and tears rose to his eyes in frustration. He was angry, so, so angry at himself, at Haly, at Zucco and even at Mr Wayne who had kindly taken him in and had even bothered to save him when he had been so sure he was about to die.

It was only as he sniffed that he realised that he had started crying and as this realisation sunk in, he found that he could not stop the tears. "That's so unfair," he hiccupped out. "They were k-killed and-and  _n-no one_  is  _d-doing anything_! I jus' – I just w-want – " He tried to continue but he only succeeded into bursting into loud, messy sobs, finally at the end of his rope. A part of him might have once been an adult but right now he was just a child, a child who had lost his parents and himself alone, confused and lost.

He stiffened when large, muscled arms surrounded him but he quickly leaned into the warmth presented to him, his crying dying down to hiccupping sobs after a while. A large hand petted his head a little stiffly but Dick did not care; he welcomed the comfort greedily, soaking it in while he still could as he burrowed deeper in the man's embrace, his own hands coming up to cling to the large comforting presence.

"You don't need to worry," the older man said, his voice rumbling in Dick's ear as his breath tickled his hair. "I am taking care of it and I promise that your parents will find justice."

Dick sniffed, tilting his head to peer up at the man. Mr Wayne's expression was surprisingly soft. He looked awkward and uncomfortable but he also seemed concerned, his blue eyes that Dick had once thought to be impenetrable were gentle as he gazed down at the young boy in his arms.

"You promise?" he could not help but ask in a small voice, feeling even more like the child that he currently was as he sought comfort and reassurances from the one adult who was closest and seemed most capable.

"I  _swear_  to you," was the comforting reply.

Dick sniffed again and nodded. Then he added, making sure to pronounce his words carefully, "I want to help."

Mr Wayne seemed to pause for a moment. "You… want to help?"

"Please?" Dick tried to seem as pitiful as possible, his own blue eyes wide and earnest, shining with the earlier tears and small white milk teeth biting his lips nervously.

Mr Wayne frowned. "No."

The eight years old's expression crumbled. "Why not?"

"That's too dangerous. You will remain in the manor and not go do anything reckless while I take care of this."

"You can't!" Tears filled his eyes again but this time he stubbornly kept them at bay, fixing his eyes in the man's while tightening his small arms around his neck in case Mr Wayne decided to just up and leave him there. He  _had_  to make him understand! "What if – What if you were me!?" He glared at the man with a petulant scowl in his face and mentally tried to will the man to understand him. He was too emotional to come up with anything to say to convince him.

Mr Wayne stared back at him with equal disapproval before he sighed and seemed to deflate. "Alright –"

Dick lit up. "Really!?"

"Yes,  _but_ ," he added quickly, expression becoming firm and serious, "there will be conditions such as you will  _not_  leave the manor without telling anyone; you will  _not_  do anything as reckless as what you did; you  _will_  listen to everything I say; you will  _not_  disobey a direct order; and you  _will_  learn how to defend yourself, am I clear?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Dick positively  _squealed_  as he tightened his grip on Mr Wayne and buried his face in the other's neck. He heard the man sigh in his ear before he patted him on the back.


	3. Dick's Childhood: The Golden Age of the Dynamic Duo Part 2

Training for Dick started almost immediately. Bruce – as he insisted the child was to call him – wanted to make sure the young boy would not be defenceless. He was mostly taught how to get out of dangerous situations at the beginning, such as how to duck and roll, how to find effective hiding places and so on. Alfred, though ever helpful, displayed his displeasure and disapproval silently. However, he was still available as a soothing balm during Dick's training. Not once did he try to stop Dick, perhaps because he recognised the same determination in the young boy's eyes as the one Bruce had since his own parents' murder.

After Bruce was sure Dick knew how to get away from danger, he finally started to teach him how to defend himself against others, and mostly against those older and taller than him. Bruce himself had such an overwhelmingly large presence and so he was also quite a great teacher. It helped that Dick already had a basis through his gymnastics.

Bruce turned out to be easier to get along with than Dick had initially anticipated. It was during this training period that Dick really got to know the man as himself and not just the one he had thought to know from those first few weeks. While the man could be distant, prickly and self-absorbed at times, he was also, Dick found out, quite socially awkward in an almost endearing way (though he hid it quite well), kind and generous. Bruce had his moments but after a while they both opened up to each other. They were two peas in a pod; one man trapped so far in the past he could not see the future and one young boy who could at times seem older than his meagre eight years of age.

Knowing that he was older than his current appearance dictated, Dick understood and saw far more than Bruce showed him. He could see that the man was lonely but also feared getting close to anyone. He could understand why Alfred was so faithful to a man like him who could be hard and unapproachable at times. He could see that at first, Bruce had no idea how to act with and around him and he used the training as a crutch to build their relationship. The man had lost his parents at such a young age and was so deeply-rooted in his self-appointed mission for justice that he had no idea how to be a father. Fortunately (for him), Dick did not need a father in him and when the man finally realised this, they settled into a comfortable companionship that quickly turned into a close friendship, despite their mentor-student relationship they already had going because of the whole vigilante business.

His training went on for weeks as Dick was taught as much as he could learn before Bruce allowed him to accompany him out. Amongst all the teachings, he was also taught how to throw a batarang, how to use the grappling hook, and even how to gather evidence and put together an investigation. Meanwhile, Alfred also made Dick's own costume which the child designed himself. After all, when Bruce finally went after Zucco, it would be best that Dick was not recognised as that would lead to Bruce's identity being revealed. However, with the same trail of thought so as to protect both of their identities, Dick was to be taken on a few of Bruce's own investigations and patrols so that if he would be seen, he would not be associated with only Zucco's case. As such he would be taken out with Batman before Zucco's case and a little after before he would be able to stop.

At first, Dick wanted his costume to resemble the new costume had been supposed to wear with his parents for their performance but he thought better of it; though the chance was slim this too could be used to track down his identity which would then lead to Bruce's. With that in mind he decided that he would have to choose something else. Bruce and Alfred were of course ready to help and it was not long before they had his costume ready.

He needed something that would allow him room for his acrobatics but that would still keep him relatively protected, or well, as protected as he could be considering. At Bruce's insistence it had to be padded with Kevlar and it needed to be able to hide batarangs, aside from the utility belt he would have to use. All in all he ended up clothed from head to toe in a costume that looked almost like what he would wear for a performance but thicker in material and with a cape, and was done mostly in burnt orange and dark brown, keeping to the name his parents had called him at his own insistence. After all he was doing all this for them. He had thought about having a hood but Bruce quickly shot down this thought with the point that it might impair his hearing, so he was stuck with only a domino mask to hide his identity.

At the end of the day though, Dick was quite pleased with his costume. Now he only had to convince Bruce that he was ready to be taken along on his usual patrols.

Robin was ready to take on Gotham.

* * *

Bruce knew that Alfred did not approve of his decision. The man made sure that he knew. But Bruce knew that this was the only way. He was not particularly pleased with dragging Dick, bright, innocent Dick, into his crusade for justice either. However, he knew that hard look in the boy's eyes, the desperation peering beyond those innocent eyes. He recognised how the child was feeling because he had once been feeling like this too. He had once been as desperate to find justice for his parents' unfair death and a part of him still was. Fighting for justice though was what kept him stable, what tethered his sanity. He did not want such a bright child full of potential to be dragged into his darkness. He knew however that it was best that Dick had someone by his side, someone who understood and who would guide him on the right path. It was so easy after all to allow the darkness to swallow them. Bruce could not allow it to happen to Dick, not to Dick who was so bright and innocent and full of life.

That did not mean Bruce would allow the child to be reckless. He would make sure he had everything at his disposal to keep himself safe if Bruce was not with him. Dick had to be prepared for when he would have to face Zucco. That was why he was going to take the young boy with him on small investigations and on his usual patrols. This way there was less chance of Dick stumbling onto one of the most dangerous of Batman's adversaries like Two-Face or Joker. He could only hope though since the simple fact that soon it would be known that the dark knight got himself a partner, his young charge would be in danger.

He had to prepare him.

Bruce was not a father though. He did not know how to be one. Thankfully, Dick was not looking for a father but for a friend and that was something he could provide. It was unfortunate that he found out only after his young charge had gotten kidnapped. Those first few weeks Bruce had been trying to get himself together, terrified that he would just screw over the child. He had kept an eye on him though, so that he would be able to provide aid in case his charge got himself in danger. He had known from the first time that Dick was trying to find his parents' murderer. He had let him, knowing that this would help him. He had been careless though and that was the reason why Dick had gotten kidnapped.

Those who had let the information leak had been dealt with but the damage was already done; people knew that billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne had taken in a young boy after his parents' death. There was not much he could do but damage control. Letting Dick leave the manor alone though was still out of question; not only would he risk being kidnapped again but paparazzi would also have a field day in accosting his young charge. He would have to prepare Dick to be introduced to this new world of the rich at his own time. People were not going to be kind, particularly because of Bruce's reputation and he had to make sure Dick would not be hurt.

For now all he could do was keep the young boy occupied with the whole Zucco case and his taking on  _Robin_.

It was a small comfort at least to find that Dick had much potential. The boy had a brilliant mind for one his age and he noticed details that Bruce had to train himself for years to notice as a detective. He retained information quickly and was a quick learner. He was also enthusiastic and soaked in any knowledge he could get his small, sticky fingers on like a sponge. But most of all, Bruce noticed the strange wisdom that he had, one that hid behind his carefree laughter and childish enthusiasm. He seemed older than he looked. Or maybe Bruce was only trying to project so as to alleviate the guilt that followed him in allowing a small eight years old child into his crusade.

Either way, Bruce found that Dick's presence in his life brought light back into the darkness he had made his life into after losing his parents so many long years before. Dick might just be good to him and to Batman; he would be the light to Batman's darkness and he would remind Bruce just what it was to live and not simply survive.

* * *

It took a long while before Dick was finally allowed to follow Batman out on his patrols. At first he was told to stay in the shadows and just observe, to not interfere whatever happened as Batman took down criminal after criminal. He was to observe and learn on those trips, cataloguing every detail of every second from the moment they left the cave. It did help with Dick's training in sneaking around, information gathering and retaining, and multitasking. When Batman was not taking down criminals, he would show his charge how to blend in his surroundings, how to use Gotham's structure to his advantage and anything else that he could be taught out at night, in the city.

When they would be back in the safety of the cave under the manor, Bruce would question him thoroughly. He would ask details about his surroundings, about the criminals that were taken down, about Batman's actions and fighting. Some nights Dick would have to stay behind and look at Batman's other solved investigations, the evidence that had been gathered before he was to find his own conclusions. These nights were those that Batman had to go against one of the most dangerous criminals in the city, those that Robin was forbidden from going near, or when Batman had to leave on League business – which was still quite new and its beginning stages.

For a long while Robin did no actual physical fighting against crime. Batman did allow him to help with some investigations but mostly through evidence gathering and analysis. No one actually knew that he existed yet and that was Batman's wish. It rankled him a bit but he also knew that Bruce was only doing all this because he worried and only wanted to protect him as far as he could, to prepare him for when he would actually properly join him. Dick was not particularly happy; he was in fact feeling quite impatient but the simple fact that he understood convinced him not to complain and to just go along wholeheartedly. Bruce after all knew what he was doing and it would only be to his advantage to do as the man said.

When the older vigilante was finally convinced that Dick was ready for some actual work, it was already a few months into their whole arrangement and his birthday was coming near with each passing week. He accompanied Batman on his patrols like usual but instead of staying in the background, well hidden in the shadows, Robin actually joined in the fighting. He served mostly as a distraction with his loud, flamboyant approach, cartwheeling and flipping in and out of danger, practically dancing around the criminals, before Batman swooped in for the final take down.

Sometimes Batman would remain in the background while leaving Robin to defeat the criminals, usually small crooks, always ready to jump in at any moment in case the young boy needed it. He only rarely had to though and this provided Robin more opportunity in getting stronger and thus less vulnerable. Through all this, Robin learned and gained strength and a reputation of his own.

They quickly and effortlessly fell into a routine, like two cogs finally finding each other so that together they made the perfect team and the end result was more than excellent. It was almost natural. They had to work and train though but that did not decrease the ease with which they found themselves working together.

Before long, Robin was finally ready to find Zucco.

* * *

They found him in Metropolis of all places. Apparently after the whole Flying Grayson fiasco the man had decided to go underground, so to speak, though he did not go too far. The man made money in extorting cash from travelling companies like circuses or from businessmen. In the case of Haly's Circus, the man had been trying to coerce Haly into using his trucks to carry drugs across borders. Haly had of course refused but it had unfortunately led to the death of the Flying Graysons.

Batman and Robin found him in a small hotel room. The man was on the phone when they appeared at his window like two vengeful shadows.

"Antony Zucco," Batman growled, "It is time for you to pay for your crimes." The man stared at them for a moment with a slack jaw before he cursed, threw his phone and a chair at them while he ducked out of the room, running. Quickly, before they could lose sight of him, they followed him out and to a back alley. At a dead end, the man turned around and tried to defend himself by firing his gun and the two vigilantes quickly ducked out of the way while Batman threw a Batarang at the man. The batarang dislodged the gun and Robin quickly jumped in and kicked the weapon away, following the move with a knee in the stomach.

The man cursed loudly as he folded in on himself. Batman was not too far away but he remained behind as his charge grabbed the man's shirt and punched him fluidly in the face.

"Robin," he called, when it looked like the young boy was not going to stop any time soon. Robin froze before, with one final move, he knocked the man out with a blow to the temple. Everything seemed to remain still for a moment; Robin was unreadable as he stared down at the man at his feet. "Robin," it was Batman's gravely voice that brought him back from his thoughts and he turned back to his mentor, lips pulled tight, far different to the cheerful and bright smile that always graced them. "What would you like to do now?"

Robin remained silent for a long while, his eyes shifting from his mentor and his downed foe from behind his domino mask. Then, finally, he opened his mouth, "We… We'll drop him off to the police." He turned fully to Batman, head tilted to stare up at the tall man. "And then I want a Big Belly Burger."

The Dark Knight's lips pulled briefly in a smile before he inclined his head in a nod.

The two tied the unconscious man up and dropped him off near where a couple of policemen were patrolling, leaving behind a file in which all of Zucco's crime was recorded which the two vigilantes had prepared beforehand just for this. They stayed long enough to watch the criminal being discovered and taken into custody before they made their way to the car.

Later that night, their belly full of food Alfred would thoroughly disapprove, Dick slipped into Bruce's room and then his bed. The man wrapped him up in his arms and the young child curled closer to him. A whisper left his lips as he clutched at the man's sleeping shirt that was quickly becoming damp with tears.

' _Thank you.'_

* * *

It turned out Robin became a permanent fixture in Batman's life and crusade. They had become too entangled together to separate easily and Alfred became resigned to having his two masters swinging around the city, beating and intimidating criminals into submission. However, while he still disapproved of having the young boy joining in the Dark Knight's crusade, he had to admit that Dick's smile became brighter and Bruce became less tense as each day passed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to tell me your thoughts


	4. Dick's Childhood: The Golden Age of the Dynamic Duo Part 3

With taking on the mantle of Robin, Batman's partner, Dick had to admit the idea of going to school or even having a life outside the manor and Robin had never crossed his mind. He was just an eight years old boy and his days were spent training, going through Batman's files – those approved by the man – and when he was not he was resting. He  _liked_  his life at the manor with Bruce and Alfred and he honestly could not imagine it being different. While it was true that he missed his parents and the circus, he knew that there was no way for him to go back to that time. For now, however, he was content with what life had offered him.

He had been so occupied with Robin that he forgot that there even  _was_  a life outside the manor, outside Bruce and Alfred. He was harshly reminded when Bruce announced that he was throwing a ball to introduce him to the world as his new ward. He did not know what to think or even feel but Dick knew that he was feeling particularly nervous. He was uncomfortable with the idea of meeting new people, of having this comfortable routine they had established broken. Still, while he felt uneasy, he knew that it was inevitable and he could only power through it. At least, he was not  _just_  an eight years old little boy otherwise he would have been terrified at the mere idea of the upcoming ball.

It was not long before he had a suit tailor-made, Alfred had the whole ballroom and the catering organised like the badass he was, and Bruce reminded him again on what to expect on that day. To say he really was not looking forward to the paparazzi that were supposed to be present, Bat-approved or not, would be an understatement. As a circus performer, Dick was used to the attention but definitely not to the scrutiny he would have to face on that particular night.

With the ball coming up though, Dick also remembered school and the fact that children his age usually went to school. However, neither Bruce nor Alfred had mentioned it to him and even after living for a few months at Wayne manor, the most academic thing he did was related to his being Robin. And so one morning Dick decided to breach the subject with his guardian. The conversation went quite easily, like everything else in their lives, though Dick had definitely not expected Bruce's response. It went something like this:

"Hey, Bruce?" he called his guardian's attention after swallowing a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"Yes, Dick?" The man did not look at his ward and only turned a page from the newspaper he was reading.

"You never mentioned school to me. Am I ever going to school or…?" he left the conversation open and as he stared at Bruce he definitely did not miss the small pause in the man's movements or the pointed look Alfred sent in his way, followed by the slight grimace Bruce was not quite able to hide from his young ward. Finally the man raised his eyes and lowered the newspapers to look at Dick in the eyes.

"I thought that you could be home schooled until you're old enough to attend Gotham Academy."

"What?" Dick blinked. "…Not that I mind, Bruce, but  _why_?"

Bruce sighed. "After your kidnapping I don't exactly feel comfortable with having you out, without protection on a daily basis."

"I can take care of myself," Dick frowned, not exactly happy with his guardian's answer. He might be just a child but he was also a child vigilante, one who spent most nights out in a city like Gotham,  _fighting crime_. If that did not scream someone who could protect himself, then, most of the residents of Gotham should just stay locked up at home in fear of danger.

"No.  _Robin_  can protect himself.  _Dick Grayson_  on the other hand is just any other child, albeit one with access to the Wayne fortune."

Blue eyes blinked. "Oh." For a moment he could only frown down in displeasure as he really came to understand what it was like to live a double life. For the last few months his life had pretty much been straightforward, despite the quite unusual vigilante element in an eight years old's daily life. Now, however, as he was going to meet and interact with other people who did not know of his nightly escapades, Dick was going to have to craft a whole other image that would be impossible to connect to Robin. Dick Grayson could not be like Robin, and that did not just mean in the fact that one could fight and one could not; it also meant that their personalities had to be different.

Not that it would be too difficult; when he was in his Robin costume he tended to act a little more mature, a little more like the adult he was supposed to be though not completely as he  _was_  still actually a child. It was a necessity. When he was Robin, every action he took, every word he said was carefully thought about. One moment of carelessness could mean the end after all and he would loath to be the reason for Batman's downfall; revealing Robin's identity would mean revealing Batman's…

On the other hand, when he was out of costume or when they were simply home, whether they were down in the cave or not, he allowed himself to be a little childish, to be the child Dick Grayson had always been, if slightly tempered by his own maturity and experience of life that he had gained in his previous life. If he was to create a clear divide between the two identities, then perhaps it would be better to emphasise those differences.

Hopefully, this would not create some kind of weird double personality thing, he thought wryly to himself even as Alfred informed him that he would be the one to take over his lessons five days of the week. He wondered silently how this would work out given that a part of him had already completed his education once. Well, there was always something new to learn!

* * *

On the night of the ball a shipment of illegal merchandise was arriving at the docks. As such, Bruce and Dick spent most of the day preparing for their night mission instead of the actual ball. When it was time for the ball, Dick's mind was more preoccupied with their upcoming operation than the fact that he was going to meet new people; that he was going to be introduced as Bruce Wayne's new ward. At least it served to distract him enough for him not to be too anxious. Really, how was this his life? How was catching dangerous criminals in the act far preferable to a ball with food, music and people dressed up all shiny and pretty? And yet it was.

The ballroom, the manor was much more filled than he had ever seen before which was to be expected since it had always only been Alfred, Bruce and Dick for months. The large room seemed somewhat smaller to the eight years old but he knew it was because of having so much people there at the same time.

The ball itself was quite exhausting. Bruce introduced him to many people, most of which he had already been informed of beforehand. What tired him though was not meeting so many new people but the fact that he had to keep the facet of the happy, cheerful child that he usually was even when he was cooed over, his cheeks were pinched, his hair ruffled and adults regarded him with a condescending eye without being obvious about it. He did not fail, however, to observe certain people who were on  _Batman_ 's radar, like Lex Luthor or Oliver Queen. It made the night a little bit more interesting as he tried to link the image they were presenting to the public and what Dick had read in Batman's files.

It seemed so easy in this world for people to keep double identities… Even Bruce was so different. He was no longer the calm and aloof man that he had come to know; his guardian was all wide smiles and bumbling movements. And yet Dick also knew that this 'Brucie' persona that the public knew Bruce by was all just an act. Still, even knowing this, Dick had to admit seeing his usually so quiet and reserved partner like this made him uncomfortable; he  _hated_ Brucie. He hated seeing those squealing, gold-digging women clinging to his guardian; he hated the smiles the man gave them; and he definitely hated knowing that people really thought that Bruce was truly that much of an idiot. No, Bruce Wayne was so much more than they would ever know, but at least Dick knew. He knew who Bruce truly was and he knew that the looks he gave to all those around them were just part of the whole act. That still did not prevent the sour taste in his mouth each time he caught sight of 'Brucie' though.

Throughout the night Dick kept a constant smile on his face, talking to anyone who wanted to talk to him, giggling at the right moments, but mostly keeping close to Bruce. He went only a few feet away before darting back to burrow into his guardian's side, who bore with his clinginess with patience and a comforting arm around his shoulders, drawing him closer. He had not realised it but during the few months he had started living with Bruce, Dick had become heavily dependent on the man, on his comforting, intimidating and looming presence. Bruce might not be used to physical forms of affections but, slowly but surely he was learning to tolerate them and even reciprocate them when his ward was concerned, knowing that the boy needed it.

Just like Dick had come to understand and know his guardian, to truly  _see_  him, Bruce had come to understand Dick, that his ward was a physical person who  _needed_  this close contact with someone he  _trusted_ to truly be able to function… to keep being who he was and not lose grasp of what made him Dick Grayson. That was why, as the night went by and the ball came to an end, Bruce held on tightly to his ward's small, shuddering body after returning to the cave, their mission of the night accomplished but neither feeling particularly victorious. Stumbling across human trafficking was never easy but it was even worst when children were involved.

* * *

Bruce stared down at the small boy nestled comfortably in his arms, seeming even smaller and younger than he was as he slept what was left of the night away, comfortable and secured in the knowledge that the man beside him would never let anything happen to him. He let a careful finger trace the soft cheeks, round with baby fat, going past the long thick eyelashes fanning under his closed eyelids, tracing the small, slightly upturned nose to lightly touch the top of the pink parted lips that let out small breathes. He could hardly believe that this small boy in front of him, so innocent and beautiful in appearance, was becoming so important to a man like him, one lost in his mission for justice. A part of him loathed himself for dragging someone like him in his darkness but another larger part admitted that it was his selfishness that kept this child at his side. Dick was bright and light, cheerful and strong, and yet so vulnerable. He brought a side of Bruce that he had long thought dead; he brought light back into his life.

He knew he was being selfish by keeping Dick close but he was too weak to let him go, to make himself let go of this child so precious and talented, so bright and treasurable. Dick was quickly and effortlessly burrowing his way inside Bruce's heart and it did not seem like it would be easy to dislocate him from his careful nest. He knew that Alfred did not approve of his decision to have the child home schooled. He agreed that Dick needed to be around other children his age, to get out of the manor aside from their night excursions, but the thought of leaving this child out of his side and sight for hours on end on an almost daily basis, of leaving him  _vulnerable_  and without his protection, brought an almost paralysing fear to him, something he had not felt since that night his parents had been taken from him. Oh, it would not be forever; just long enough for him to give the boy the tools necessary to take care of himself. Dick might not be as vulnerable as other children his age, he  _was_  still just a child and one who needed his protection.

Dick was his to protect. It was bad enough that he was in danger as Robin, he did not need him in even more danger as Dick Grayson, ward of Bruce Wayne. It might be inevitable but he would be damned if he did not do his best to protect this child he had chosen to care for. Dick might not be his son but he was still  _his_ ;  _his_  ward,  _his_  partner,  _his_  excited little bird. And Bruce cared for what he considered his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep in mind that there is nothing sexual or romantic with their relationship. Dick is still very much a child and Bruce is not a pedophile. He has just come to care really strongly for the child in his care.


	5. Interlude – Dick's Birthday Surprise

As his ninth birthday approached, Dick felt a little depressed, knowing that his parents were not there with him to celebrate. He was not even with the circus this year. Usually for his birthday, his parents and he would spend the day together but not this time. This time he was at Wayne manor and his parents were buried six feet under.

As the day came nearer and nearer with each passing day, Dick became quieter and quieter, which was strange for him as he was usually a chatterbox. Bruce and Alfred shot him worried looks when they thought he could not see. He did not want to worry them but he really could not help his behaviour. A part of him might be an adult but a greater part was just this young child who had lost his parents so cruelly.

The day of his birthday he was woken up not by the morning light or the birds chirping outside his window or even Alfred but by Bruce who gently carded his hand through his hair. He almost just wanted to close his eyes again and go back to sleep but the simple fact that the man was in his room so early in the morning was strange enough, so instead Dick yawned and sat up, stretching.

"Bruce?" he asked groggily as he tried to rub sleep from his drooping eyes. The man was seated on the bed near Dick so the eight years old – soon-to-be nine years old – used this opportunity to lean against the man, curling into his side. Bruce was still not used to physical forms of affection but Dick was determined to get the man used to it through sheer force of will. He usually did not push too much though since he knew that Bruce needed his space but on this day he could be excused. Not only was he still sleepy but it was also his birthday. Not that Bruce would push him away either way anyway, even was he was uncomfortable and just wanted to retreat back into his shell. Dick came to know that the man was just that awesome.

"Good morning, Dick," his guardian immediately greeted, his hand coming up to run through his hair. Dick hummed contentedly. "Why don't you get dressed for the day, hm? We have a long day in front of us. We'll have breakfast on the road."

Dick pulled away and stretched again, stifling another yawn that made its way up his throat. He smacked his lips together. "Where are we going?"

Bruce only smirked. "You'll see." Then, with one last pat on the head, the man stood up. "You have fifteen minutes."

* * *

Dick was surprised when Alfred did not join them. The older man only parted with them after giving them a basket of food that they were supposed to eat for breakfast and with enough left for a light snack. Dick was still not sure where they were going but he was not complaining, particularly when Bruce decided to get out the Lamborghini.

They left quite early, only a little after sunrise which was in fact quite early for them. At least he now knew why Bruce cut patrol earlier the previous night. Bruce refused to tell him where they were going even as they left Gotham, went past Bludhaven and continued onwards. It was around noon when they seemed to have reached their destination, Metropolis of all places. This was Superman's city after all and Bruce usually tried to avoid him as much as possible. Dick knew that his guardian, though worked together with the illegal alien, was still not quite as comfortable with the man. Well, he was more wary of the man and his abilities; that was also why he always insisted that Dick carried a piece of kryptonite everywhere he went, hidden away in a small lead compartment, in his pocket or utility belt.

Dick on the other hand was quite fascinated with the idea of there actually being a  _Superman_  in this world. As in  _Clark Kent_! Everyone in his other life had known about Superman and he himself had been a fan as a child before the first Iron Man movie had come out. To know Batman and to be Robin was one thing, but meeting Superman was something else altogether!

However, when he asked Bruce if they were there to meet the alien superhero, the man immediately replied in a negative, to Dick's disappointment. He had known though since if they were to actually meet Superman they would have come as Batman and Robin and not as Bruce Wayne and his ward. No one knew who they were yet after all, not even those in the League.

With his guardian still remaining mum, the child settled in his seat, munching on a cookie. And then as the car continued forward, he started to see it; the tents, the animals but most of all the people who were so familiar and who he had missed dearly all these last few months. Unbidden, tears came to his eyes. It was Haly's Circus.

As Bruce parked the car, Dick could see that the only ones present were only members of the Circus, all of whom came to greet them. Dick whipped his head to the side, only to see Bruce giving him a small smile.

"W-Wha – How-? They're supposed to be in Coast City by now!"

"I  _might_  have hired the Circus for the day and I  _might_  have paid the travel expenses," Bruce replied with a slight smirk. "Happy birthday." Dick gawked. And then before his guardian could react, he wrapped his small arms around the man's neck and gave him the tightest hug he could manage.

"Thank you! Thank you!  _Thank you!_ "

His birthday turned out better than he could have ever imagined. He spent the day with all those he considered family and everyone spoiled him with their affections, having missed him just as much as he had missed them. They stayed the whole day, Dick excitedly dragging Bruce along with him as he tried to show him everything that he loved, particularly Sitka his elephant friend who greeted him by hoisting him up in her back with her trunk. That admittedly might have alarmed Bruce until he realised that the great creature was only being playful and that Dick was laughing all along.

All in all, the birthday boy had a great day and he felt his parents' absence not as poignant as he had thought he would. Bruce might be socially awkward and the most emotionally constipated man Dick had ever known, the man was great when he wanted to be. He turned what was going to be a gloomy day into one his young charge would forever remember as one of the best birthdays of his short life.

When they went back home, stuffed full of sugar to Alfred thorough disapproval and exasperation, Dick snuggled into Bruce's arms with a stuffed Sitka toy in his own arms, a gift from the circus to remember them by. His first birthday with his new guardian was spent with cheer and laughter instead of tears as had been Bruce's goal from the beginning. Living with the man was the best thing that had happened to him since his parents' death and Dick could not be any more thankful to whomever or whatever had put the man in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short something I was thinking about. There'll be more like this in the future: short little parts as Interlude or Extra that is not necessarily used to move the plot itself along but to show some Batfamily fluff. And yes, I mean Batfamily and not just Dick and Bruce. This is so that I can get on to the rest of the plot without being sidetracked by little bits and pieces that I also want to show you guys.
> 
> Hope you like it. The next chapter won't be for much longer as I'm almost done.


	6. Dick's Childhood: The Golden Age of the Dynamic Duo Part 4

The day Dick, or well Robin, started to be known as the  _Boy Wonder_  started like any other. It had been a year now since Zucco and the subsequent decision for Robin to remain as Batman's partner. On that night, they started patrol as always until they received news of a hostage situation. Unfortunately, at the same time Poison Ivy was attacking a Chemical Plant on the other side of the city. Usually when one of the big villains of Batman's rogue gallery made an appearance, Batman always made sure to send his charge right back to the cave while he went after them. This day was no different. However, while usually Robin went without complaint, knowing that the man only wanted his safety and that he would only distract his mentor otherwise, this day the child vigilante decided to do something he had never contemplated before. He decided to disobey a direct order from Batman.

As Robin, Dick never disobeyed his mentor. Out on the field, he knew that listening to Batman, someone who knew better would keep him safe. The fact that it would also cause unnecessary stress to his guardian if he went against him while they were out kept him from going against the man. However, before he had never had any reason to disobey Batman. Every time when the man told him to go back to the cave when one of his rogues was out causing trouble, he went without question. However, on this day, he knew that he had to disobey. He knew that the man would not approve and this might even force the man into benching him indefinitely, and yet at that moment Robin did not care. There were people out there that were in need of someone to save them and Robin was determined to be that person.

And so they parted ways and Robin swung his way to the large property belonging to the rich man the criminals were trying to bribe with the other two hostages, the wife and child. From what he had been able to gather from the police radio frequency, the criminals had snuck into the large house in the hopes of getting easy money. Unfortunately for them, the husband had been able to call the police before he was found along with his family. With the police on the way, the criminals were hoping to use the hostages in the hopes of not only getting the money but also getting a safe getaway.

With Batman otherwise occupied, the police would have had to let the criminals go, hoping to save the lives at risk. However, it was not guaranteed that they would let them go after getting away. Gotham's criminals were a whole other league of criminals from the other cities' and one characteristic that was prominent in them was that they were unnecessarily cruel. There was a good chance that they would in fact not let the hostages go after they were safely away from the police, particularly if their faces were seen.

Fortunately for the hostages, while Batman might not be able to come to their rescue, Robin was. Robin might just be a child but he was also bat-trained and he had been following Batman around and helping on his patrols for more than a year now. It was the first time he was being left to take care of something like this alone, which Batman would have never let happen if he knew. The child knew he was going to be in so much trouble come morning but he felt that he had to do something. He could not let people die without even trying to help.

When he arrived at the property, he found a dozen of police cars surrounding it. From his hiding spot Robin noticed Commissioner Gordon on a phone, most likely trying to make a deal with the criminals. Dismissing the thought from his mind, Robin snuck inside the property which was ridiculously easy all things considered. It was nothing compared to all the sneaking Batman had made him go through since the beginning of their vigilante partnership.

He easily climbed and flipped inside an empty room. However, just as he was about to make his way out of the room, his communicator crackled and a familiar voice, distorted to make unrecognisable, sounded through his ear. Dick cringed.

" _Sir, if I may ask, where are you_?" Alfred asked from the cave. " _You should have already been back here by now_."

"Hey, A," he whispered quietly. Oh, he was in so much trouble. "I'm a little busy right now. I won't be much longer, promise. Talk to you later? Bye!" And before the butler could think about what he could be doing instead of heading to the cave, he cut off his end of the comm link. He was going to be  _so_  grounded when he got back home.

Trying not to think about Alfred or Bruce or how they were both going to  _kill_  him for this, Robin snuck out of the room and made his way downstairs where his infrared vision was telling him the only living beings were. The stairs led him to the foyer and he immediately took a right to the room adjacent. It seemed to be a large drawing room and also where the hostages were being kept.

He snuck in a quick look before ducking back out of view. There were in total six people in the room as his infrared vision had already informed him. There were three hostages in total and three criminals; two of the hostages were sitting to the left side of the room, the wife and the daughter who could only be a little younger than him, with one criminal pointing a gun at them; the husband was in the middle of the room with the other two criminals. One of them was talking on a phone and from the conversation he could gather that it was the Commissioner on the other side, like he had previously thought. To sum it, he had three hostages, one wounded, one a scared child, and one man terrified with his family's safety. There were three hostage-takers, two armed and the other most likely also armed but distracted.

It was not nothing he had seen before and he was quite certain he could easily knock them out. However, he did not have Batman by his side in case he did something wrong. The pressure was greater than he had expected but he quickly shook himself. Those crooks were nothing compared to what he had faced out in the streets before. But he also could not be careless and those people's lives depended on him.

Calming himself, he fished through his utility belt, a plan already forming in his head. The priority was making sure the hostages were alright. He closed his eyes and took in a calming breath… and then he acted!

With a clink, a smoke pellet rolled inside the rom, releasing its white smoke with a small hiss. It hardly even took seconds for the room to be filled with smoke, making it impossible to see. Robin did not wait for it though; no sooner had the smoke pellet rolled in than he had flicked two batarangs in the room, one hitting the man near the two hostages and the other, the one holding a gun to the husband's head, disarming the both of them.

Yelps, screams and clangs resounded through the room but Robin did not let any of them distract him. The lenses in his domino mask had been re-switched to infrared vision mode, so he could more or less navigate through the room unperturbed. He threw a bat-bolas at the man to the left, ensnaring him in the chords and hogtieing him together, leaving the woman and the girl free of immediate threat. Never pausing, he fluidly flipped over the third hostage, kicking one of the men away while knocking the other out with a careful elbow to the temple. As he went down, he cartwheeled to the last one who was trying to pick himself up, only to end up on the receiving end of Robin's stun gun.

' _You gotta love the toys,'_  Robin thought to himself as he stood and surveyed the room. The smoke was starting to dissipate, so he deactivated the infrared vision. The three criminals were all down, one hogtied, another knocked out and the last one with muscles temporarily seized up. The hostages were safe, though gawking at him in disbelief; after all it was not every day a pint-sized vigilante with a cape came to your rescue.

Robin grabbed the phone that had fallen on the floor during the minor scuffle and shove it under his ear before he quickly tied up the other two hostage-takers and knocked out the two still. Lots of shouting and cursing could be heard on the other side of the phone and he recognised the Commissioner's voice amongst the chaos, even though he had not yet officially met the man yet.

"Commissioner?" he asked in the phone to stop the ongoing and ceaseless questions from the man.

There was a moment of silence on the other side during which Robin quickly went around stripping the criminals of their weapons. He also kept an eye of the three hostages, the man having gone to his family. The woman was sobbing in her husband's arms, the little girl held tight between the two of them. They had completely dismissed his presence in the room, not even reacting to his voice, too busy with their reunion. Robin could not really fault them.

" _Who is it?"_  the commissioner's voice finally came from the receiver.

"This is Robin, Batman's partner," Robin answered even as he went about dismantling the weapons. "The hostages are safe and the criminals ready to be taken to prison." There was another pause from the Commissioner. Robin used that opportunity to hang up on him. He stashed the weapons and the phone into the empty bag nearly that was mostly likely supposed to be used for the money and then he made his way to the window. There was nothing more for him to do; the criminals were no longer a threat, the hostages were safe and he could already hear the police making their way to them.

"W-Wait!" a voice stopped him before he could fully swing outside, his hand already bracing on the window sill. Turning, he saw the little family of three staring at him. "Thank you." The woman gave him a tear-filled but thoroughly grateful look. He gave her a nod and swung his body outside. Not a second later, the police filtered into the room.

* * *

Leaving the hostages, Robin was in a mostly good mood, pleased with himself at having saved those three's lives. However, as he approached the cave, his mood gradually pummelled, knowing that he was definitely in for a scolding or worst. Never before had he gone against Batman's words and that was also why the man trusted him so much out in the field. He had no idea what damage he might have done by disobeying a direct order, and cutting off the comm link later might have worried Alfred even more. And frankly, he was a little bit scared of what this would do to their relationship. Batman and Robin were great together and Bruce and Dick were even more so. He remembered the first few conditions the man had given him before he had even considered letting him out there with him and not disobeying one of his orders had been one of them.

When Dick finally reached the cave, it was to find both Bruce and Alfred waiting for him, except Bruce was more Batman in the way he was stalking towards him the moment he stepped further into the cave. It would seem like he had dealt with Poison Ivy while Robin had been busy going across the city and back. He did not know how long the man had been back but he had not even removed the cowl yet and Dick found the while lenses boring into him. He almost wished to shrink back into himself but he stubbornly stayed put, squared his shoulders and stared back at his guardian. The man might scold him as much he wanted but he was not going to make him regret saving those people's lives when no one else could.

"What were you thinking!?" the man asked, his voice in a growl and particularly gravely, more Batman than Bruce at the moment. He stopped only a little in front of him and Dick had to crane his neck to look at the tall, looming man in front of him. He refused to be intimidated, even by the man's huge presence. "Disobeying a direct order, cutting off your earbugs without even informing Alfred where you were,  _going alone in an armed hostage situation_.  _What were you thinking_!?" The edge in his voice made Dick unintentionally flinch but he otherwise did not react.

"If I may, sir," thankfully Alfred found it to be a good time to interrupt but not-so-thankfully, his guardian did not turn around and kept his eyes on him, and Dick found himself on the receiving end of Batman's glare-of-doom. "How about I make sure the young sir is uninjured before this discussion in continued?"

"It's fine, Alfred," Dick was quick to butt in, not wanting to worry the two adults even more than he already had, "I'm not injured. I was not even touched once."

"Let me be the judge of that, yes?" the butler raised an eyebrow at him.

With a sigh, Dick followed the butler to the medical bay and hopped onto the medical bed, Bruce not far behind but remaining silent and observant. It made him feel even more apprehensive; Dick would have preferred for the man to say everything that was on his mind already instead of having to wait and wonder about what the man could possibly be thinking. However, while Alfred provided for a good distraction, it was not long before the older man was done and proclaimed him uninjured and with him done, it left the door open for Batman to finally let out all he had been keeping inside.

Except… except all Bruce did was give him another long look before turning on his heels and leaving, completely ignoring Alfred's no-cape-upstairs rule. Dick was left staring at his retreating back in bewilderment and worry, wondering what he had missed and what on Earth could have brought this completely uncharacteristic behaviour. On his way back to the cave he had had long enough to think up all kinds of different scenarios about Bruce's reaction to Dick's disobedience but this… this was definitely not something he had seen coming.

"Master Bruce has been quite worried when he learned of your whereabouts," Alfred said almost as a gentle reprimand, not turning to look at the young child as he finished packing the medical supplies. "When I informed him that your trackers were showing that you were in fact not coming back to the cave, Master Bruce finished as quickly as he could. He would have gone after you but by that time you were already making your way back." The butler then turned and gave him a piercingly disappointed look; Dick hunched his shoulders, feeling ashamed and guilty. "You worried us both greatly, young man, but more so Master Bruce when you cut off your comm link."

Dick scowled down at his lap. "He should have trusted me. He trained me and those criminals were nothing compared to everyone else we meet every night."

Alfred sighed. "It is not that Master Bruce does not trust you. He worries, as is his right. He would loath to have you injured when he could have prevented it. And as trained and strong as you might be, you are still just a child; out there you are his responsibility." There was a long pause before the butler added, voice quiet, "How do you think he would have felt if you were injured earlier?"

The man did not say anything more, but he did not need to. Dick might be an adult at heart and he had been ready to face whatever repercussions his disobedience would have, however, he had failed to think about his guardian's feelings or state of mind. If the sensors in his suit had registered him as wounded, Bruce would have been told by Alfred. In turn, Bruce would have been even more distracted in his fight with Poison Ivy.  _He_  could have been wounded or worst and it would all be because Dick had been irresponsible, impulsive and selfish. Yes, he could not have been able to live with himself, leaving those hostages helpless but going so far as to get Bruce in danger because of it? Bruce had thought him safe only to learn that Dick had decided to be stupid and go alone…

With a sigh, Dick stripped and dressed into the pajamas Alfred had brought to the cave for him before he made his way upstairs with a distracted 'goodnight' in Alfred's way. He found the light in Bruce's office still on and so he made his way to the door, only a slight hesitation in his steps. Pushing the door open, he found his guardian hunched over his desk, dressed in his own night clothes and the batsuit nowhere to be seen. With sock clad feet, he padded over to the desk, faltering only slightly at Bruce's blatant ignoring of his presence.

He fidgeted for a moment in the tense silence during which Bruce still refused to look at him and continued shuffling through the papers on his desk. Finally, Dick decided to just blurt out his own thoughts, knowing the man would just continue to ignore him if he could.

"I'm sorry I worried you and Alfred," he said, biting his lip when Bruce's hands froze over the desk. "I'm not sorry I went to help the Hardwoods, but I'm sorry I didn't tell you or Alfred and – and that I cut off my comm link. I shouldn't have –"

"–Yes, you shouldn't have," Bruce interrupted, finally looking at Dick, his gaze hard and piercing. " _What_  would you have done if you had been injured and couldn't reach us?"

"But I was not –"

"– _This_  time. You were not injured  _this time_  but what if you had? What would you have done? Your actions were irresponsible and foolish." Then, rubbing his temple, he stood up. "When you took the mantle of Robin, we agreed that you would not disobey a direct order, and what did you do?  _You disobeyed a direct order_  and put yourself in harm's way,  _without_  telling us where you were going."

Dick lowered his head. That was it. Bruce was going to take Robin from him. He was not going to trust him out there anymore so he was going to make sure Dick would not be going out at night. And he could not really fault him; Dick  _had_  been irresponsible and he  _had_  disobeyed him when the man had explicitly told him not to when they had first started their partnership. If Dick had been in Bruce's place, he would take Robin away without a second thought.

"I should have expected this; that's why we're upping your training, so that next time at least I know you are not so defenceless." Dick's head snapped up and he gaped at his guardian.

"That's it?"

"No," Bruce glared. "You are benched for a month and the only times you will be allowed in the cave will be if I'm training you. You won't be allowed to do anything Robin-related unless I give you the go-ahead, and  _yes_ , that includes looking over my files. Am I clear?"

Dick was quick to agree.  _He was not taking Robin away_!

Later, when Bruce was calmer and no longer angry at him, Dick would ask him why and Bruce would reply by asking him if it would have stopped him from sneaking out and doing any vigilante work.

" _As much as I want to protect you from everything in the world, it is something I know is not possible. I know you enough to know that you would find trouble either way. At least this way I can make sure you're prepared and that I have your back for as long as possible."_


	7. Dick's Childhood: The Golden Age of the Dynamic Duo Part 5

Robin met the whole Justice League after he turned nine, a good year after having taken the mantle of Robin, and a few weeks after becoming known as the Boy Wonder. He had become much more known by then, being the first child vigilante and one doing a great job at it too. Being the famous – and sometimes infamous – Dark Knight's partner played a role in his popularity. While Batman was greatly respected, he was also greatly intimidating to the general public, what with his whole silent, dark, gloomy and looming presence. The fact that he had a young child as his partner softened his image to the public but also intrigued them with the dynamics the two had. The same could be said for the Justice League that was made up of other powerful and respected heroes. They knew their colleague and they were curious about the child who was apparently his partner. However, another part of them greatly disapproved Batman's involving a child in their way of life.

They found out through the media – of course, they would and not from the man himself. To say the Justice League was surprised at learning about Batman's 'partner' would be an understatement. Their dour colleague had brought in a  _child_  in their mission against crime and he had not even deemed it worthwhile to inform them of this before the whole media backlash. Now, every time any of them were accosted by the media in their own cities, the first questions they were asked was about Batman and his young partner.

And so not even two days after they learned of Batman's protégé, they called for a meeting in the Watchtower, asking the Dark Knight to also bring in Robin as they wanted to meet him and make their own judgement.

They were already waiting for Batman when the Batwing appeared in the Watchtower's hangar. The rest of the Justice League Founders were standing and waiting together, as if presenting a united front. They waited for the cockpit to slide open and for the Batman to exit the plane before they approached. Superman, who was at the head, along with WonderWoman and Martian Manhunter, frowned when he noticed that there was no child in cape following behind the Dark Knight. It was not like he had actually fully expected the man to bring in his sidekick but he had hoped that Batman would have more respect for them to accept their request. Even though they had all been working together for a while now, Batman still acted as if he was an independent agent, doing everything and making decisions on his own.

"Batman," Superman greeted more coolly than he intended, his frustrations at the man bleeding through his voice unwittingly.

"Superman." The Dark Knight greeted back, seeming to regard the gathered crowd with silent disdain.

"Is Robin not coming?" the blue boy scout asked as if just as a formality more than actual expectation. It was not like he could make the man do anything he did not want to. Batman, seemingly just a normal human being unlike Superman, was as always unmovable.

"Speaking of," Green Lantern cut in, "what's up with that? A  _kid_ , Bats?"

"Green Lantern is right," Superman said. "We would like to know why you dragged a child into this life."

"I am more concerned with how old he is," WonderWoman frowned lightly.

"Old enough," Batman intoned, voice like gravel.

"How ever old he is, he is still just a child," Superman declared disapprovingly.

"I believe our friend knows what he is doing," Martian Manhunter added, voice without any kind of judgement.

Batman turned to Aquaman and Flash, seeming to raise an inquiring eyebrow even behind his cowl. "What about you two? Isn't there anything you want to say?"

"I agree with J'onn," Aquaman said. "I might not approve of involving a young child in this life but I also acknowledge that you would never intentionally bring harm to any child."

"Yeah, I'm with him on this," Flash added. "I'm not big on the whole letting a kid beat bad guys on a daily basis but knowing you, you would not let him out there if you're not sure he can take care of himself. Besides, you've got impossibly high expectations so the kid has to be really good for you to let him out in the nights of Gotham of all places."

"All of this does not matter," Superman declared with acute disapproval. "It's still a child we are talking about. This  _cannot_  be allowed to continue, Batman. He might be good but we cannot let a child go out at night and fight crime. Other children might be tempted to and then what will happen?" However, before he could continue, he suddenly felt a little faint, as if under the effects of Kryptonite. A small shadow darted in front of him and before he knew what was happening, the worst pain he had ever felt slammed into him. His knees buckled under him and Superman fell to his knees, his hands reaching to cradle his groin. In front of him a small figure appeared, dressed in burnt orange and dark brown, a small domino mask with familiar white lenses settled on a tiny face with baby fat. Beside and around him, the other Justice League members – apart from Batman – had tensed, some even falling into battle stances, when the small figure had appeared.

It took him a moment of stunned silence before Superman realised what had happened, and all it took was to notice the small, familiar green rock in the child's hand. The young, masked child had  _punched him in the groin_ , using the effect of the Kryptonite on him so that he actually felt it.

The other Justice League members slowly relaxed when they noticed that not only was the child not attacking, but that the small figure was in fact Robin, Batman's protégé. Some were, however, a little more reluctant after they realised that the child had downed Superman. Said child seemed to be glaring at the Superhero in red and blue even as he kept the Kryptonite out longer than necessary before tucking it back into his utility belt.

"You know," a small childish voice came from the child vigilante, "You've always been my favourite hero after Batman, but clearly I was wrong. All I can see is that you are one giant, self-righteous  _bully_. You don't know anything so you should really think before talking. Or really, simply keep your mouth shut."

"Robin," Batman finally deigned to scold his partner. He did not add anything else and his partner continued glaring at the downed Superhero – who gawked at him in stunned silence – before he backed to his mentor's side. The others could only stare, some in wonder, some in disbelieving surprise as they fully processed that this tiny little thing in a cape had in fact beaten the most powerful – though it was debatable when Batman was concerned like always – of all of them without even trying. There began the most awkward and intense stare-off in history, on one side the Dark Knight and his Boy Wonder and on the other the rest of the League.

The silence was broken when the Flash whistled. "That's one  _mean_  right hook," he declared, sending a grin at the child beside Batman. The child turned his eyes to him, and though just like his mentor they were not visible, they seemed to pierce right through him as if seeing all of his darkest secrets and silently assessing him. And then after a long,  _long_  moment where he almost started to sweat, Robin replied with a proud childish grin.

"Do you still believe he is too young for this?" Batman asked, the question seemingly directed at Superman who was stumbling back to his feet. No answer was forthcoming but it would seem like the two gothamites had made their point.

No one was going to complain about Robin after this.

* * *

When Batman and Robin were on their back to Gotham a few hours later, having spent most of this time for the Justice League to get to know Robin, the Boy Wonder, the Dark Knight turned to his protégé.

"Did you have to punch him?" he asked, his expression unreadable even to Robin who had learned to interpret the man since they had started their partnership.

Robin stayed silent for a moment before he declared viciously, "He deserved it."

Batman only hummed even as he made sure his partner did not see the small smirk on his face. After all, it would not do for the child to think he approved of violence against their allies. What would Agent A say?

As soon as they were back home and Robin in bed, Batman was going to make sure he had copies of the whole meeting in his data base.

* * *

**Extra – Dick's Schooling**

When Bruce had decided to have Dick home-schooled, his first thought had been to keep the child close, safe and sound at the manor when he would be away at Wayne Enterprises. His second, on the other hand, had been to make sure the boy was caught up to his age group's academic's knowledge and that this way he would not get embarrassed by his ignorance in certain areas. However, as the weeks went by, Bruce came to realise that maybe he should not have been so dismissive when Dick's past education was concerned. But then again, it was  _Dick_  he was thinking about, so he really should have expected this.

The boy was surprisingly well-versed academically for a child his age. He was only eight after all and yet he was far more advanced than any child his age, though how much depended on the subjects. For one whose mother tongue was Romani, Dick was quite knowledgeable in English. He knew his verbs, his grammar, his punctuation, etc., even better than some adults Bruce knew. He was not as knowledgeable in mathematics but still much more than any child his age. On the other hand, History was one subject the boy got confused by, much like geography – though Dick could tell him all the countries he had been to while in the circus and the different routes they had taken without missing a beat. And from what he already knew from the boy's Robin-training, he understood science well enough, and much more than a child his age.

From Dick's disjointed knowledge in academic subjects, it became a little difficult to prepare a cohesive syllabus for the boy to follow. For one, though he was quite knowledgeable for his age, it was not as if he knew everything there was to know up to a certain level. It became easier to just test him in the different subjects taught at school one by one, topic by topic to pick up where the boy was lacking. It was definitely time consuming but it also cleared up the gaps in his knowledge.

As time went by and the lessons with Alfred continued, the two adults realised just how… erratic Dick's learning process could be. Neither knew how the circus went about to teach the boy but said child also got interested in the strangest subjects. Bruce could not deny Dick was intelligent for his age, and as such it came as no surprise that the only times Dick went to look for information, it was when he came across something that had him confused in Batman's cases, such as chemistry, mechanics, etc.

Much like his training, Dick devoured knowledge like a sponge and at this rate, when he would be of age to enter Gotham Academy, the boy might as well become overqualified. In any case, for the next years, they would just have to make sure to fill in the gaps the Circus and whoever educated him had left behind. For all Bruce knew, the boy might just enter Gotham Academy only to complete his final year, if that was what he wanted. For now, he could reduce his lesson time and use this time for some additional training or even to allow the boy more free time to relax and play. Dick's safety  _was_  more important after all.

* * *

To say Dick had underestimated the amount of work he would have to put up for his own education would be an understatement. Yes, a part of him was an adult, one who had gone through life before and had already completed academics to a level where eight years old him would be considered a genius if nothing else. But then again, he had forgotten a lot of what he had once known. Not only had it been eight years since his last life – maybe even more since he did not know for how long he had been dead – but even during his once adult life, some things had quickly been discarded through the years.

Back then he – or more like  _she_  – had not exactly been a genius but he had also not been an idiot. He had been above average in academics but he had not cared much for it. He had finished school and completed a degree in French but that was it. Right after his grandfather had died, leaving the family bookstore to him and he had spent the next few years taking care of it.

So, yeah, he pretty much forgot a lot of things concerning academics, such as mathematics, science and so on. There was much he remembered but vaguely. That was why when Alfred started with the lessons, he was pretty much lost or spending his time reminding himself of what he had once known. Granted, it took him far less time than a normal child his age would but he still spent a long time relearning things he had once known. It was to be expected though; he hardly thought all adults remembered everything they had learned when they had gone to school. At least he also spent time learning things he had never bothered before, so there was a plus.

On the other hand, he was really starting to hate mathematics with a burning passion. Ugh, he just had to have the pleasure of 'going to school' a second time around, didn't he?


	8. Interlude 2

**The Day Bruce Was Sick**

On that day Dick woke up in a particularly good mood. At seven, he was already up and showered, ready to take the day of lessons and training by storm. He skipped down the halls, humming and practically dancing on his feet as he made his way to the kitchen where he was pretty sure Alfred was already preparing breakfast. Just as expected, the older man was there, flipping over pancakes.

"Good morning, Alfred!" Dick chirped, skipping over to the man, peering around him to watch the fluffy pancakes in the making.

"Good morning, Master Dick," Alfred greeted back, a raised eyebrow being his reaction to the boy's unusual good mood at such an early hour.

"Is Bruce not awake yet?"

"No, not yet, young Dick. Another fifteen minutes and I shall wake him up. He does have a meeting at eight-thirty after all."

"Oh."

The next fifteen minutes were filled with Dick watching the older man continue making breakfast, helping him set the table after everything was ready and filling the silence with cheerful chatter. Usually at this hour Dick would be asleep before Alfred came to wake him up at seven-fifteen, just like Bruce. They would have the next fifteen minutes to get ready for breakfast, after which Bruce would go back to his room to finish preparing for the day, Dick following him around like the faithful little duckling that he was.

So when Alfred turned off the oven and made his way upstairs to wake Bruce, Dick followed right behind, humming to himself all the way. Alfred knocked on the door before opening it. The bedroom was in complete darkness, aside from the light coming in from the hallway. The curtains were drawn and a small light was flashing from the smartphone on the bedside table, indicating an unseen text message. While Alfred made his way to the windows, Dick hurried over to the bed, toeing his shoes off before climbing in.

Bruce was right in the middle of the large King size bed, buried under the blankets. Usually the man would wake the moment Dick so much as opened the bedroom door and yet, there he was, still asleep even with the child already on the bed. Dick frowned.

It was when Alfred drew back the curtains, letting the morning sunlight filter into the room that Dick realised what was wrong; Bruce's face was clammy and pasty white. Obviously the man was not feeling his best.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred's voice caught Dick's attention from where he was sitting beside Bruce. Bruce's eyes fluttered open and immediately settled on the old butler before flickering to Dick's worried face.

"Dick?" the man's voice came out in a croak. He tried to sit up but only managed to lift himself up on his elbows. Dick's frown deepened.

"Oh, dear," Alfred sighed; he too had noticed.

"Alfred, what time is it? Am I late?"

Now it was time for Alfred to frown. "Come now, Master Bruce. You are clearly not feeling well. I believe it would be best if you were to stay in bed for today."

Bruce sighed. "I have to go, Alfred. I can't –"

"No way, Bruce!" Dick interrupted as he scowled, pushing the man back to lie down when he tried to get up again.

"Dick –"

"No. No, no, no, no,  _no_. You're  _not_  moving from here. Alfred's right. You  _have_  to stay in bed today, Bruce!"

"Dick," Bruce sighed again. "You two don't understand. I can't miss this meeting. Lucius counts on me and – Dick,  _what are you doing_? Give me that!"

The child ignored the man and expertly unlocked the phone he had swiped from the bedside table. He ducked under Bruce's reaching arms, rolled when the man tried to catch him and promptly plopped himself on the other's thighs when he still tried to get the phone from his hands. Although Bruce was still not feeling his best, he still tried to get his phone from his ward. Dick, unfortunately for him, was also not only in good health but also much more agile and so he expertly twisted out of the way, his legs trying to lock the man's arms down. When he finally looked at the unlocked screen, he raised a pleasantly surprised eyebrow.

"Well, that's convenient," he commented. Momentarily apprehensive at his ward's unexpected comment, Bruce paused in his actions and stared at Dick expectantly.

"What's convenient?"

Dick grinned. "Weeeell, apparently Oliver Queen called and asked if your meeting could be postponed either for the afternoon or another day."

Bruce frowned. "What? Let me see."

With a shrug, Dick turned the phone in his hand so that the man could see the screen without being able to snatch it from his hands. And indeed, it would seem like the message he had received had come from Lucius Fox, asking him if it would be possible to postpone the meeting scheduled for the morning with Oliver Queen. Apparently, something had come up and Queen was still in Star and would be unable to reach Gotham in time for their meeting.

The man sighed again. "Give me that. I have to call Lucius." When the man reached for the phone again, Dick bent backwards, his thumb swiping to the call button. "What are you doing? …Dick!"

When he heard the other side being picked up, he immediately chirped, "Hello!"

"… _Hello? Who is this?"_  a male voice replied.

"Dick!" Bruce tried to roll him on the mattress but Dick fluidly flipped him onto his back again with his legs latched around Bruce's waist for purchase.

"This is Dick Grayson! Bruce Wayne's ward? Are you Mr. Lucius Fox?"

" _Yes, that's me. Can I help you? Is Bruce…"_

"Oh, Bruce is sick," Dick immediately provided helpfully. "And he's being stubborn – like always – so I'm asking if you can clear his schedule for today?"

" _Oh? I'll see what I can do… Can I talk to Alfred?"_

"Alfie? Sure! He's –"

"– here."

Dick blinked and swung around to find Alfred entering the bedroom with a tray which he put on the bedside table. Huh. It would seem like while Bruce and he had had their little tussle the wizened butler had taken the opportunity to go downstairs and then back.

"Who is it, Master Dick?" the man asked as he approached them.

"Lucius Fox. I asked him if he could clear Bruce's schedule for today because Bruce is way too stubborn to do it himself," he replied proudly as he him handed the phone.

"Well done, Master Dick," he praised back. Dick beamed.

"Not you too, Alfred," Bruce groaned, giving up as he covered his face with his hands.

"Come now, Master Bruce. Be reasonable. The lad was clearly right." He then turned his back on them and brought the phone to his ears, giving one last disapproving look at his employer. Dick grinned and rolled off his guardian, crawling over to the tray Alfred had left on the side table. It held a bowl of steaming oatmeal, a banana, a little bowl of yoghurt and a large cup of tea. He grabbed the tray and carefully put it on the bed beside him before he crawled back over to Bruce, dragging the tray behind him. Bruce was regarding him with a bemused look in his eyes and a wry smile. When he was finally settled, he helped Bruce sit up and fluffed his pillow.

"Really, Dick?  _Really_?" Bruce asked, his tone almost exasperated. "Are you going to feed me too?"

Dick grinned cheekily. "That's my plan." Bruce tried to glare at him but the thoroughly exasperated fondness ruined it and he seemed more resigned than anything.

"Well, it would seem you are in good hands, Master Bruce," Alfred commented lightly as he put Bruce's phone back on the bedside table. Dick beamed.

"I'll take good care of him, Alfie!" he declared as he grabbed the oatmeal bowl from the tray to balance on his lap.

"And I have full confidence that you will, Master Dick," the butler agreed readily.

"Alfred –" Bruce tried to reason but the other man instantly cut him off.

"Now, Master Bruce. Allow the lad to fuss over you a little. I doubt our young Richard would allow you out of bed in your condition in any case –"

"– Definitely –"

"– But –"

"– Mister Fox would like to inform you that your schedule has been cleared for the rest of the week and that you should spend this time getting better. I shall leave Master Bruce in your care, Master Dick. I shall check on him periodically and if you need anything call me."

"I'll take good care of him, Alfie. You don't have to worry!"

" _Alfred_ , you can't be serious. Dick has to continue his lessons," Bruce tried another tactic this time.

"Oh, I am certain the young sir can take the next few days off too. He is after all quite advanced in his studies and in any case I can also assign a few books for him to complete in the meantime." He paused and then added deliberately, "I have seen you walk off with broken ribs and internal bleeding when I explicitly ordered you to bed rest to take care of your responsibilities, Master Bruce. You would not want to set a bad example for the young sir, now would you?"

Bruce stared. "You are an evil, evil,  _evil_ man, Alfred."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Master Bruce," Alfred replied primly. Dick snickered. "Now if you'll excuse me, I shall bring up Master Dick's breakfast." With that, he turned on his heels and left, leaving a cackling Dick Grayson and a very resigned Bruce Wayne behind.

Yep, Alfred Pennyworth was an unmovable force all of his own.

In Bruce's bedroom, Dick held a spoon of oatmeal to the man's lips who stared at him as if he was feeding him poison. At the child's expectant grin, Bruce sighed, utterly resigned to his fate, and finally allowed his ward to spoon feed him. Honestly, Dick and Alfred together could take over the world without even trying. Batman, the Dark Knight of Gotham, the Caped Crusader, was doomed.

* * *

A few hours later when Alfred went to check up on his two wards one more time, he found the duo already sleeping. Bruce was buried under the covers while young Dick was curled up on them still wearing the face mask both adults had insisted in case he caught Bruce's illness, surrounded by the books he had taken from the library earlier in the day. With a fond smile, the older man grabbed the books and put them neatly on the bedside table, covered the child up with a spare blanket before he checked his older ward's temperature. Bruce's fever had lowered, though was not completely gone but clearly he was better than he would have been if he had not stayed home for once.

Alfred was proud of young Dick who had stuck to Bruce's side the whole day, just as stubborn as his own guardian. Bruce had slept most of the day and when he was not Dick was ready and earnest to help in any way he could. Even Alfred had not been able to take care of his ward like he usually would; young Dick taking charge and stubbornly refusing to budge and let the older man do anything. Instead the butler had been forced to take care of his other duties while the young child fussed over Bruce like the fretting mother hen he apparently was. And he did a better job than Alfred had honestly expected. But really, he  _should_  have expected it; that was just like young Dick after all, always ready to impress and surprise the two adults in the household by how mature and pro-active he could be. Beside, Bruce had listened more to Dick's fretting and fussing than he usually would with even Alfred, so it was a definite win.

Alfred drew the curtains, turned off the lights and then left the room, leaving his two wards to sleep in peace. It would seem like he would always appreciate the changes young Dick Grayson brought to Bruce since he had appeared in their lives. He hoped this would continue for many more years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a treat for the New Year. I hope you guys like it!  
> Like always, don't forget to tell me your thoughts. Thanks for everyone leaving behind comments, kudos, etc.  
> Leight


	9. Dick's Childhood: The Golden Age of the Dynamic Duo Part 6

It would seem that after Robin was accepted as a legitimate hero by the Justice League, both publicly and privately, things seemed to settle for a while. A few weeks after meeting the rest of the Justice League, Superman appeared in Gotham to apologise for how he had acted during their first meeting. Robin readily accepted his apology after bullying the Superhero into taking him out for a fly around the city, with Batman's reluctant permission. Since then, much to the Dark Knight's resignation, the two got along like a house on fire. Yep, Superman was definitely his favourite Superhero after Batman, though the Martian Manhunter was fast becoming a close second.

He met the other heroes a handful of times after this, mostly for their hero work when cases Batman and Robin were working on crossed with the others' work. As time went by and Robin got better in his Robin-training, Batman let him monitor the League's progress on certain missions from the Batcomputer, his childish, cheerful and often times cackling voice a constant presence in their comms as he helped by directing them or taking care of the surveillance and hacking, the harmony of the partnership between the Bat and the little Bird becoming more pronounced to the rest of the League. Batman trusted his little Robin to take care of his side of the job and Robin met said expectations to perfection as if without even trying, always knowing and following what the Dark Knight wanted of him, the picture of professionalism despite his innate cheerfulness and obvious young age.

The League had to accept - though reluctant as they were - that Batman had chosen well. Robin was  _good_. But then again, since none of them knew Batman nor Robin's real identities, there was a real possibility that Robin was the Bat's  _child_ ; any child of Batman  _would_  be that good. Some of them thought otherwise though. They believed the dynamics between Batman and Robin to be far different than between actual father and son. Either way, all of them could admit that Batman had trained Robin so well that he might even be better than quite a lot of the adult Superheroes in the League. But then again…  _Batman_.

And so it was that the Justice League became used to relying on and trusting the little Robin on certain missions Batman allowed the child to help. To say they were impressed would be an understatement. Maybe that was why when other child heroes appeared, most were more resigned. Thankfully, those same child heroes were mentored by Justice League members.

It was like a trend had started with Robin. The first to appear was Green Arrow's young partner, Speedy. But he was certainly not the last.

* * *

Roy Harper was Oliver Queen's new ward. The moment he was taken in by the other billionaire vigilante he was on Batman's radar. And so when the Green Arrow appeared to have a young partner the same age as a certain Roy Harper, neither Gotham vigilante was too surprised. Green Arrow had been under Batman's radar for a long time but the last few months it was more because he was trying to evaluate whether the man would be a suitable candidate for joining the Justice League.

However, while Batman was interested in Green Arrow because of Justice League matters, Robin – or more like  _Dick_  – was much more interested in Speedy, though he was still unsure if he was more interested in Speedy or  _Roy Harper_. This was another child vigilante. A part of him questioned the ethics and morality behind letting a child fight crime but then he remembered that though he might have memories of another life, one in which he was an adult, right then Dick was essentially still a child too.  _And_  he was younger than Roy Harper by a good few years. So really, he was not one to talk and it would be hypocrisy on his part if he did.

Another part of him, the part that was more  _Dick_  was intrigued at the idea of there having another child vigilante around.

_(Maybe…_ Maybe  _they could be friends…?)_

So when one day during breakfast Bruce started talking to Alfred about having to set up a meeting with Oliver Queen in the guise of it having to do with WayneTech and possible partnership, Dick quickly butt in and announced that he wanted to come along. While it was in fact quite unusual from him to demand something, all he received was a raised eyebrow from Bruce before he readily agreed.

A few days later the two partners set off for Starling City.

* * *

They arrived at Queen Consolidated around mid-morning, Alfred deciding to remain behind in Gotham again as had become the norm during the times Bruce took Dick out of the city. They were guided to Oliver Queen's office in the building, Bruce with a wide, charming grin on his face, fully in his Brucie persona and Dick giggling by his side, allowing himself to be as childish as he wanted.

"This way, Mr Wayne," the Queen's secretary opened the door to his office for them, shooting a smile at Dick before closing the door behind them again.

"Bruce!" came the cheerful voice. Oliver Queen came to them with arms wide open in welcome and a grin as bright as it could get.

"Ollie! It's been a while," Bruce greeted back with equal enthusiasm. Dick inwardly cringed and shuddered. He wondered if he would ever get used to his guardian acting like…  _this_. Bruce was usually so calm and composed, though always warm towards Dick.  _Brucie_  Wayne on the other hand was so  _alien_  in how… un-Bruce he was.

"And young Richard too!" Queen turned his dazzling grin to Dick who returned it with a cheerful smile of his own, though tempered by calculated shyness.

"Hello, Mr Queen," he greeted back. "It's good to see you again."

"You too, kid. And please, I told you to call me Ollie or Oliver if it'll make you more comfortable." He turned to the last occupant of the office, the one who had been lingering behind awkwardly as the three greeted each other with familiarity gained from going to too many socialite parties. "Com'ere, Roy." The young teenager of fifteen to Dick's measly ten came forward and was taken by the shoulder by his guardian. Dick amusedly noted the slight mulish expression on his face; clearly he wanted to be anywhere but there. "This is Roy, my new ward. Roy, this is Bruce – we knew each other from back in school – and this is Richard, his ward."

"Pleasure to meet you, Roy!" Bruce practically declared, a wide grin on his face as, without preamble, he took the teenager's hand, shook it carelessly roughly and let go. Instantly his hand came to rest around the back of Dick's neck, though much more carefully and gently, grin never wavering. "Dickie here has been  _dying_  to meet you! He says there's finally going to be someone he might like to those  _boring_ parties." He ended his statement with a playful wink in his ward's direction. Dick responded by cheekily sticking his tongue out at his guardian.

Queen laughed loudly. "Yeah, I remember how boring those parties were as a kid. Trust me, kid," he added, looking dawn at Dick with a large grin despite the even more mulish expression on his own ward's face. "When you grow up it's gonna be  _way_  different."

Bruce laughed even louder. "I keep telling him that! He already has all those women wrapped around his little finger!"

Dick made a face at that. "They just like pinching my cheeks," he whined. The two adults laughed at that.

"Now, how about Roy here shows Richard around while us two adult talk boring business?"

"Good idea, Ollie! Dickie, keep your phone on you."

"'Kay!"

"Right. Nice meeting you Mr Wayne."

"It's Bruce, kid. Mr Wayne sounds so stuffy!" Roy looked at Bruce oddly but he still nodded at him and then directed Dick back to the door.

As the door closed behind them, Dick piped up, "So where do we go?"

"Where would you like to do?" the red-head asked a little uneasily, hands in his pockets and looking at Dick by the corner of his eyes.

Dick grinned up at him. "You wouldn't let me in R&D by any chance?"

"Yeah, dream on, kid," Roy snorted. Dick pouted lightly. "You hungry?"

"A little."

"How about the cafeteria then? There might not be anything too great but we can get a little snack if you want?"

"Sounds great!"

They walked in silence for a while, coming across scurrying employees going about their work and completely ignoring the two children in their midst. When they reached the elevator the silence seemed even more pronounced and a little awkward, the only thing break being it the usual elevator background music.

Finally Roy decided to speak up, "So, you're… Richard, right?"

"Yep! Richard Grayson but I prefer 'Dick'."

"Grayson, huh? So you're really just Wayne's ward?"

"Yeah, it's been… two years since then."

They kept the small talk for a while and when they reached the cafeteria, they got a couple of sandwiches and boxed juice before going to sit in a quiet corner. Dick knew that all Roy was seeing was a little kid he had to play nice with because his new guardian wanted him to but the acrobat found that despite the teen being a little standoffish with him, he genuinely started to like the red-head. Roy was tough around the edges but it would seem like Dick had been right since the beginning; the teen was a genuinely nice person and Dick knew that they would be good friends one day. Now if only he could make Roy stop looking at him like a silly little child…

* * *

A few hours later, Bruce and Dick settled in their hotel room to wait for morning before making their way back to Gotham, using this opportunity of being outside the city to take a night off vigilante work. Dick threw himself on the bed that was supposed to be Bruce's and spread his limbs around like a starfish, his guardian shooting a fond look at him from where he was brushing his teeth in the bathroom. When he came out, Dick had the blankets wrapped around him like a burrito. Bruce huffed out a laugh.

"Are you going to stay here all night?"

Dick peeked at him with mischief-filled eyes. "Maybe."

Bruce sighed. "I don't know why I even bother with getting two beds when we go out anymore." Dick snickered. "You're getting a little old for this though, Dick."

"I'll stop when I start school," he replied decisively, leaving no room for his guardian to say otherwise.

"Of course you will," Bruce shook his head fondly but did not try to get his ward out of the bed. They did not always share a bed; it happened usually after a hard patrol out in the city, nights Dick had nightmares or simply needed the comfort of having Bruce within reach during the night, or on lazy Sunday mornings they just wanted to have a lie in for once. Bruce knew that so long Dick was just a child it was fine but as he continued to grow up it would be hardly appropriate. He would have to stop it before it became a habit. As much as the man was not one for physical shows of affection of any kind, he genuinely did not mind when his ward decided to cuddle or hug his little heart out. He had become used to it since he had taken in the child. Dick was a physical kind of person; he expressed how much he cared about others through his touches so Bruce could not help but allow the innocent little demands of affection. Even Alfred had caved after all.

As he settled on the bed too, Dick rolled over until he was comfortably nestled into his guardian's arms. Bruce reached up and carded his fingers through his ward's soft dark hair, slowly lulling the child to sleep.

"Did you like today?" he asked quietly, not once stopping his gentle touches.

"Yeah," Dick mumbled back. "I really liked Roy. Do you think I can see him again."

"I'm sure you'll have many more opportunities to see him after today."

Dick peeked up at him through heavy-lidded eyes. "Really?"

"Really."

Dick grinned lazily. "Great."

Bruce smiled down at the soon-sleeping child in his arms before he decided to join him in slumber, ignoring the conspicuous little shadow spying on them from the opposite building. It would seem Dick was not the only one who seemed to have taken a liking to his day's companion. Well, the child always did have a knack for endearing himself to others without even trying.

* * *

**Extra (The same day Robin met the Justice League)**

Robin found that he liked the Justice League, despite many of them having been against the idea of him being Batman's partner. His little disappearing act and what came after with Superman –  _haha, oops?_  – seemed to serve into convincing them that he might not be as defenceless as they thought. He might be a child but that did not make him incompetent. They were not bad people either; being superheroes they had a high moral standard but at the same time they were not all stiff and boring.

However, when meeting them, Robin had forgotten one small detail. The Martian Manhunter was a telepath and Robin – Dick – had  _one_  secret no one knew about, not even Bruce. He had never thought that anyone would even find out. And yet… and yet, the man, this Martian with green skin and a mild disposition did.

Oh, Robin did not realise at first, too busy getting to know the other members of the League. But then he heard a voice in his mind, one that surprised him in its abrupt and unexpected appearance. The voice was as mild as the man's presence, soft in its intensity and wise.

' _You are older than your appearance suggests,'_  was the first thing the voice said. It took all of Batman's training for the little acrobat not to stiffen in surprise, his conversation with the Flash and Green Lantern continuing flawlessly and without a hitch.

' _What do you mean?'_  Robin tried to ask back, pointedly not confirming anything in case the Martian was just speculating.

' _It would seem you have memories of another life, one where this world is but works of fiction.'_ Sudden panic and fear almost overwhelmed Robin. No one could know about his memories. They could not know that he had lived another life before this one or that he knew his world through  _fiction_  of all things. It was too strange even for people like them with their lives. ( _How would Batman react if he knew?_ ) _'I… apologise.'_ The tone was even milder this time and gentler than anything but it still did not abate the panic he felt in his heart.  _'I sometimes forget that it is not as… common here. I did not mean to seem impolite or to pry. I have never felt another like you and it peeked my curiosity. If you do not wish me to, I shall not mention this to anyone.'_

' _How… can I be sure you won't tell anyone?'_

' _I suppose I can only give you my word. If anything else, you can simply keep in mind that your knowledge would not be beneficial in any way as all you know pertains more to some the League member's secret identities, which you would have known already through your mentor. I apologise for frightening you; it was not my intention.'_

As the man continued to talk, Robin's fear and panic decreased though they remained at the back of his mind.  _'It – It's fine. Just, please, don't tell anyone, especially Batman.'_

' _You have my word, young warrior.'_

During the rest of his time in the Watchtower, Robin could not help but worry about what might happen if the man broke his word and told the League about his unusual situation. However, as the hours passed and the man made no sign of saying anything, the child found himself relaxing if a little. After all he still had no idea if he would talk after he left the Watchtower.

Robin – Dick – had never thought anyone would ever find out about his little secret but now that someone did, he could not help but feel vulnerable. What did it mean now…?

And yet, when he left and the days went by and then weeks, months, and nothing happened (no Justice League members appearing on their doorstep to take him away; no Bruce acting strange towards him), the child vigilante started to accept that the Martian might in fact keep his word after all. It did not stop him from asking Bruce to speed up their lessons on blocking out telepaths though. The Martian Manhunter might not use this knowledge against him but there were also many other telepaths in the world who would not be so accommodating.

As the months went pass and Robin started to take a more active role in helping the League on some of their missions, he found that he maybe did not mind so much having the Martian knowing about his secret. The man was nice company and not a bad listener when he needed to just speak about some things he could not with others.

Maybe it was not such a bad thing after all. He was not going to tell anyone else any time soon though. No way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think a couple more chapters before we're done with the childhood arc. The next chapter will be about a mission with Robin and the League, and maybe Speedy meeting Robin if the usual word count allows it. And then there are only a few things more I want to include, so yeah, around a couple more chapters and then we're done and onto the next arc. I hope you guys like it.
> 
> Thank you to those following, commenting, etc. Do leave behind a comment and tell me your thoughts.
> 
> Leight


	10. Dick's Childhood: The Golden Age of the Dynamic Duo Part 7

When he had joined the Justice League, Oliver had expected many things such as finally getting to do what he had dedicated his life for on a greater scale and backup from the big heroes in case he needed it. He had  _not_ expected meeting a child like Robin, one who actually  _helped_  the League, though not physically, so effortlessly.

Oliver had been hesitant at first when his new ward had insisted that he wanted to join in in the crime fighting back when he had first taken the teenager in. He was too young to throw his life away like that but Oliver had also known that if not by his side, Roy would have found a way out there on his own and without any training and so, he had accepted mentoring his ward in the crime fighting business. He  _had_ heard of there being another child vigilante,  _Batman_ 's partner at that, but he had not paid it much mind. He had not cared much at the time but when facing it was something else altogether.

It was a few weeks after officially joining the Justice League that Oliver got to 'meet' Gotham's Robin. Well, he did not actually meet the child face to face, more like he was linked up to all members of the League on this particular mission.

Like many of the missions the Justice League gathered for, their world was in danger – honestly, it had become so common that at this rate he would wonder if the world was truly ending if months went by without a major threat appearing. A group of aliens were trying to destroy the world but the League had managed to stop them before they could. Unfortunately, they had also prepared a failsafe just in case which had activated the moment their main force had been driven back.

According to Green Lantern the aliens were intergalactic scavengers that harvested planets' inner cores for energy. They placed bombs that would release a lethal gas around the planets to destroy the inhabitants if their main force failed in taking over the worlds. They would then be free to go through the harvesting without being interrupted. It was only when the League managed to drive away the main force that they found that the bombs had already been placed and activated. They had only so much time until the poisonous gas would be released in the atmosphere.

Unfortunately, after Batman managed to deactivate the first of the three bombs, he realised that it would take too long for him to deactivate all of them. Not only did it take him too long to deactivate the first one but the other two were also at two opposite ends of the world. It would not be such a problem if someone other than him knew how to do it since they were not exactly lacking in numbers but only Green Lantern would have even a small chance of succeeding. Unluckily for them, GL was already in space with Superman and WonderWoman, keeping the aliens out of Earth and pushing them as far back as they could. It would take too long for him to free himself and get back, long enough for the bombs to explode.

That was when – while Oliver started to really believe they were finally going to lose for once – Batman brought in his secret weapon: his not-so-secret little bird. To say Oliver was sceptical at first when the Dark Knight explained his plan was an understatement. While the Dark Knight went to deactivate the second bomb, Flash and Green Arrow, the only other two available, would leave for the third one. They would have to fight their way through the squad left behind to protect the bomb, before placing a small device – that Bats gave them before leaving which looked like a small round chip – anywhere on it. From this, Robin – wherever he was – would work on deactivating the third bomb. With the Dynamic Duo divided, they should cover the lack of time. Well, so long Batman's little Robin was able enough to get it done. Which… was apparently possible; Barry did not look worried in the least but mostly…  _relieved_.

As soon as Batman left them, Oliver climbed Barry's back and the Flash ran them other to the third bomb which just so happened to be in the North Pole of all places. They were just crossing over to the North Pole when their comm link crackled and a childish voice greeted them.

" _A squad of five coming up to your right."_

Flash skidded to a halt, snow flying everywhere, and he crouched down for Oliver to get off right as said squad appeared over a nearby hill, their humanoid body looking particularly disconcerting with how even more skeletal they seemed in the light northern light. Their long, spidery fingers held large guns, much larger than their bodies which hinted at the disarming strength they held in their deceivingly frail bodies. Oliver immediately grabbed his bow and nocked an arrow.

"How far are we from the bomb, Robin?" Flash asked as he dodged between aliens, occasionally knocking them on their feet and disarming the firing guns.

" _Fifty more miles."_ The sound of typing keys could be heard through the comm link.  _"There are two other squads ahead. Batman says it's the same on his side. We think they came over for backup after he disarmed the first bomb."_

"Oh, great. And there're only two of us. Awesome," Oliver commented wryly as he narrowly dodged a blast from a nearby alien.

" _You don't have to worry about that,"_ the same deceptively childish voice replied, tone surprisingly even and calm for a young child helping in on such an important mission. Maybe Batman was actually right in believing the kid was capable of having his input in League business if he could remain this composed during such a crisis.  _"You guys should just worry about your own objective. I'll be taking care of the rest."_

"Alright, kid. We're counting on you," Flash said before Oliver could show his scepticism. After all what could the little Robin do from Gotham to help them other than direct them and deactivate the bomb later?

When they were done with the aliens, Robin pipped up again,  _"The next squad is thirty miles ahead and double the size of this own. The last is of five again, closer to the bomb."_

"Got it," Flash replied and the two League members continued on their way. Robin was right in that the next squad was bigger and it would pose much trouble for the two lonesome heroes. However, no sooner had Oliver dismounted, and Flash and he jumped into battle than they heard an unexpected whirring sound coming from the sky right before bat-bolas shot through the air and ensnared the aliens, hogtying them tightly before they could even fight it. Looking up when the enemies were all down, Oliver found three bat-shaped drones hovering not far from their location. He whistled, impressed.

"That's you, Robin?" Oliver asked.

" _I did say I would take care of it,"_ the little voice replied through their comm.

"Nice," Flash commented with a large grin. They continued on to the bomb, the next alien squad being taken care in easily enough between Robin's drones and the two League members.

" _Stand guard; I'll take care of the rest,"_ Robin ordered when the chip was placed. Oliver raised an eyebrow at the authoritative tone coming from the child but otherwise did not comment. Now was not exactly the time to let his ego and pride distract the boy from his own part of the mission. Yes, it stung a little getting orders from a  _child_  but then again said child had been a great help in saving their world.

The sound of rapid typing was the only thing that could be heard from the comm for a long time, too long if anyone was to ask Oliver, but if  _Batman_  and the rest of the League had faith in this child's capabilities in deactivating an alien bomb containing a lethal gas with the purpose of annihilating, then who was he to doubt? A long few minutes later, the typing finally stopped and the chip flashed a couple of times before going off completely. Oliver waited with baited breath. Shuffling could be heard on the other side of the comm, the rustling of clothes and then a sigh.

" _Done,"_  Robin informed. Oliver sighed in relief and behind him Barry relaxed.  _"I'll inform Batman. Can you guard the bomb while I get it to the Watchtower?"_

"That is our next job," Oliver commented wryly as metal arms slithered from the drones, attaching themselves to the bomb.

"Well done, Robin," Flash praised.

" _Thanks!"_  the high-pitched voice chirped cheerfully and then they were on their way back to the Watchtower, the drones flying the bomb between the Flash and Green Arrow. Now, time for clean-up. Great.

* * *

**A few weeks later**

It was a few weeks after the fateful Justice League mission during which Green Arrow had first worked with Batman's Robin that he finally got to meet the little boy. And to say he was  _little_  would be an understatement; the kid was tiny and worryingly  _young_. He could not really distinguish the child's features enough in the dark to deduce his exact age but from his small stature, the little face rounded with baby fat, the child could not be older than ten and even that was pushing it. Before the mission which Robin had assisted them with, Oliver would have been unmovably against having such a young child fighting crime – heck, he still had his reservations about Roy accompanying him every other night on his nightly patrol – but now he was conflicted. How ethical was it to allow such a young little thing in such a life? But at the same time, he did not think  _any_  child would have been able to do what Robin had done on the last League mission.

Thus, it was with conflicting feelings that Oliver regarded the tiny child beside the looming figure of Gotham's Batman. Beside him, Roy's own disbelief at Robin's appearance was so obvious Oliver could almost feel it. His ward and partner had been regaled with the story of the mission Robin had played such a major role in their victory. Obviously the teen had been impressed but even though they both knew Robin was younger than Roy, the red-head neither had expected for the young vigilante to be so… unassuming.

The child vigilante was tiny and seemed even tinier with his cape draped around him. Black hair flopped over domino mask-covered eyes and chubby cheeks seemed rosy in the moon's light. Robin looked more like an adorable little porcelain doll than the child vigilante running around with the infamous Dark Knight of Gotham. Either way, there he was, innocuous looking but most likely just as deadly as his reputation preceded him.

After a quick introduction and an equal quick debriefing, the two youngest were given their roles to play in this new mission. The mission was to break up a child trafficking and prostitution ring that had moved from Star City and to Gotham. They needed concrete proof to hand in to the right authorities or, just like when they had been operating in Star, they would be able to weasel their way out of this mess. As such, while the two League members would go to take care of the grunts and head of this operation, Robin was going to sneak to the locked and protected room where all the needed documents were supposed to be, Speedy as his back up.

With the adults distracting the criminals, it was easy for the two boys to slip to the back of the warehouse without being seen. Reaching the room they were supposed to break into, Robin quickly and efficiently picked the lock and disarmed the alarm system, Speedy hovering over his shoulder to keep a lookout while at the same time silently observing the younger vigilante at work. Slowly but surely, the red-head started to understand why the younger boy had impressed most of the Justice League so; Robin was very competent and professional for a child. Well, no wonder since he was  _Batman_ 's partner.

Inside the room, Robin immediately tackled the computer on the desk and hacked into the files, copying everything into a small bat-shaped flash drive. It was not long before they were ready to leave and reunite with their mentors. However, as they were leaving the room, they were accosted by a group of armed men who immediately went on the offensive after seeing them. Without wasting a moment, Robin flipped over one man to smash his feet into another's face, Speedy not far behind. It was an easy thing to take care of the thugs, the men being just small fries compared to what either had not deal on a nightly basis, however, it was still entertaining the way other had to adapt their fighting still so as not to get in each other's way. Yet, it was not long before they were done and able to join their mentors again.

The rest of the mission ended quickly and without any trouble, the two adults having already taken care of the rest of the criminals before the children had joined them. Everything else was pretty straightforward; they tied up the criminals, left the flash drive for the police to find and left the warehouse to regroup on a nearby rooftop. Since the archers were already in the city they decided to continue patrol together,  _Batman_  being surprisingly the one to suggest it. Privately, Batman – Bruce – admitted that it had been a good idea when he saw the tiny little smile on his ward's face as Speedy and him ganged up on a couple of would-be rapists a couple of hours later.

Yes, maybe Alfred had been right after all –  _like always_. The boy, as happy and content as he might be with Bruce, still needed friends his own age. Speedy – Roy Harper – was not exactly his first choice of friends for his little bird but if he had someone to choose then it would definitely be the boy. The young new vigilante seemed to at least care for Robin as much as he did for Dick Grayson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait, guys! I had most of the chapter done by February but well, life sometimes gets a little busy. I finally found some free time so I decided to complete and update at least this chapter today.
> 
> I hope you guys like it. Like I said previously, a couple more chapters before we get to the next Arc. So, at least this is almost done.
> 
> Leave behind a comment and tell me your thoughts.
> 
> Leight


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